PORT ANGELES — The summer recreational crabbing season begins today across the North Olympic Peninsula.
Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay – East of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet), and the portion of 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point will open for sport crabbing today.
Recreational crabbing in Marine Areas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-1, 8-2, 9 and 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point will be open Thursdays – Mondays each week. Crabbing in these marine areas is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the summer seasons.
The daily limit throughout Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Crabbers also can keep six red rock crab of either sex per day in open areas, provided the crab are in hard-shell condition and measure at least 5 inches in carapace width.
Crabbers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.
Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying the trap. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.
For more information on crab regulations, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-CrabInfo20.
Spot shrimp closed
PORT ANGELES — The recreational spot shrimp fishery in Marine Area 6 outside the Discovery Bay Shrimp District has closed.
Preliminary catch estimates from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife indicate the harvest target for spot shrimp has been met.
With the closure of spot shrimp fisheries in this area, non-spot shrimp harvest of coonstripe, pink and sidestripe will open today through Oct. 15.
Pots with a minimum mesh size of 1/2 inch will be allowed in this area starting today and shrimpers should note the 200-foot maximum shrimping depth restriction.
The Discovery Bay Shrimp District is closed to all shrimp harvest after meeting the state’s harvest share last month.
For more information on shrimp regulations, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-Shrimp20.
