How does WDFW estimate the recreational crab catch in Puget Sound?
Starting in 2007, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be implementing a new crab catch estimation system that will use in-season catch information from catch record cards returned to the department or reported on the internet. Prior to 2007 catch estimates were based on telephone surveys of thousands of sport fishers who hold catch record cards and are endorsed to fish for crab. The new system is designed to reduce the dependence on telephone surveys for collecting catch data and increase the use of catch information reported directly to the department. Catch information from returned summer catch cards will be entered into a database to generate a combined total. Crab fishers who fail to return their cards to the department prior to the required return dates may be contacted via phone surveys. Catch totals generated from the phone surveys will then be added to the totals for crabbers who returned their catch cards or reported their catch via the internet to generate ov
