Why are recreational crab-fishing seasons in some areas shorter than in the past?
Recreational crab seasons have been shortened in most areas of Puget Sound where estimates of the recreational Dungeness crab catch indicate a dramatic increase. Catch estimates or the Sound as a whole show the recreational harvest more than doubled from 1996 to 2005. Because of this increase, recreational crab seasons were shortened in 2005 to avoid exceeding target sport harvest levels established in the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Puget Sound crab policy. In restructuring the fishery, efforts were made to slow catch rates and extend the duration of the season. Changes include a later opening date and a four-day-per-week fishing schedule for eight high-catch areas of Puget Sound – including areas such as Hood Canal where no state commercial crab fishery occurs. This has allowed for summer, fall and winter fishing opportunities in most marine areas.
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