What's up with crabbing?

[Xena]

Out this morning, trying for halibut. Set the crab pots at the Spit and set anchor around the red marker by Cordova Bay. Commercial boats EVERYWHERE! Working the bay. I heard the crab is $50/lb now. What is up? We used to get a nice little feed of crab. Lately, undersized or females. The crab fishery SHOULD be a sustainable fishery, aren't crab like cockroaches? Why are the crab being overfished? Another point against us as the human race screwing up the earth.......Is it foreign interest in our crab? Are we selling out? Xena

 

[Rockfish]

Out this morning, trying for halibut. Set the crab pots at the Spit and set anchor around the red marker by Cordova Bay. Commercial boats EVERYWHERE! Working the bay. I heard the crab is $50/lb now. What is up? We used to get a nice little feed of crab. Lately, undersized or females. The crab fishery SHOULD be a sustainable fishery, aren't crab like cockroaches? Why are the crab being overfished? Another point against us as the human race screwing up the earth.......Is it foreign interest in our crab? Are we selling out? Xena

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?27888-I-now-believe

 

[Sharphooks]

Can you spell....C...H...I...N...A?

I could name a dozen more seafood commodities that have had similar price spikes due to demand from that market. It's not $ 50/lb, but the price rise has been noteworthy. The commies are smiling because it doesn't take many crab to make a good trip

All we can do is hope that fishery managers know what they're doing with their ABC's and TAC's and MSY's.....

 

[cabazon]

Rupert arm was a mecca for Crabs for many years. About 10 years ago I wrote a lengthy letter to DFO and asked why Sports fishing and commercial were open 24/7/365. How could the crab survive such pressure . I did finally receive a reply. They reassured me that they were monitoring the situation closely and that the fisheries there was in good shape and totally sustainable. Ha! Ha! . Forgot about the cute little sea otters that can dive 300 ft. all moved in from Kyuquot after cleaning out sea urchins there. Still the only pressure relief there came from forest company closing access to camping in the area. Not enough . Proof that DFO is being perhaps muzzled too by our great leader Nothing will get in the way of the Pipelines. Makes me sick

 

[Chovy1]

I remember crabbing in Rupert Arm when I was a kid. We'd pull traps so jagged with crab you couldn't fit another one in it and that was after only a 4 hr soak. Went out there last year, couldn't believe how many sea otters that were there. I would say at least fifty. The crabbing was obviously very poor. I was chucking the few smalls and females that I did get, and watched otters dive and resurface with the crab that I had just released.

 

[spring fever]

I remember crabbing in Rupert Arm when I was a kid. We'd pull traps so jagged with crab you couldn't fit another one in it and that was after only a 4 hr soak. Went out there last year, couldn't believe how many sea otters that were there. I would say at least fifty. The crabbing was obviously very poor. I was chucking the few smalls and females that I did get, and watched otters dive and resurface with the crab that I had just released.

The first sea otters moved above the narrows 3 years ago. I said at the time it was the end of crabbing as we knew it. It took 3 years-but they are essentially gone. The sea otters will eventually disperse as the crab disappear and the crab will come back-somewhat but never in the numbers they used to be. The same happened in Winter Harbour itself about 10 years ago. Nature at work-when there are no natural balances. Too bad they are so cute!!

 

[wolf]

well at over 30 bucks to buy a crab in the markets whats going on is EVERYONE wants a piece of the action so if it comes to stealing 5 crabs well thats whats going to happen... unfortunately not alot of respect out there much anymore

 

[Chum Bucket]

This is very disappointing. I have similar recollections of crabbing with my father in law and traps were always full, now my son and I are very happy if we get a couple keepers. Now we don't feel that traps can be left unattended or they will disappear? Wish my son could have had the experience I had.


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