A crab boat motored north along the Long Beach Peninsula during an earlier season.

ILWACO — On Dec. 6, state managers of the commercial Dungeness crab season announced the 2024-25 season start will be delayed through at least Dec. 30 in Washington waters and in Oregon north of Cape Falcon (near the Clatsop-Tillamook county line).

As in other recent years, crab in the prime area between the mouth of the Columbia River and Klipsan Beach have been slow to harden and put on meat.

In a Dec. 2 test fishery, sampled crab in the Klipsan-Columbia area averaged 19.9% meat, while crab from Klipsan north to the Quinault Indian Reservation had 21.9% meat. About 78% of crab in the south of Klipsan area were still too soft, and that was also true of 73% of crab in the Westport area. There was no problem with domoic acid marine toxin in Washington waters.

Crab in north Oregon waters all met the required 23% meat recovery rate. However, rules require the season start to be delayed there as well, since managers generally specify that all waters north of Cape Falcon must meet the required pick-out percentage before any of the area opens.

In a statement to the crab fleet, mainland West Coast fishery managers said, “Pre-Season Testing Protocols specify that after the second round of testing, if any area does not meet the minimum meat recovery criteria (23% north of Cascade Head and 24% south of Cascade Head) a delay is required, and additional testing is conducted before a season opening date can be confirmed. WDFW will provide additional information regarding the season opening as soon as possible following the completion of the upcoming tests to be completed by Dec. 22.”

The latest delay means local crabbers and processors will miss the lucrative Christmas season, but may be in time for Asian New Year celebrations that center around Jan. 29 next year.

Local consumers already have access to crab frozen from last season or brought in from elsewhere.