State considers fine for crabbers

Published 8:54 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Crabbers who don’t report their catch may soon have to pay a fine.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to discuss the proposed fine this weekend at a meeting in Lynnwood.

Port Susan and other areas along northern Snohomish County are hot spots for crab fishermen, but fewer than half of those fishermen report their catch as required by law, state shellfish policy coordinator Rich Childers said in an announcement released late last month.

Crab fishermen can report their catch on mail-in cards. The state also created a Web site where fishermen can report their catch, but only about a third of all fishermen actually file catch reports, Childers said.

If the new state proposal is adopted, fishermen who do not report their catch will be required to pay $10 before they can obtain a new license for the next fishing season.

The commission is expected to vote on the proposal in September.

Failure to report a catch isn’t the only problem with the local crabbing industry. State and tribal experts, along with advocacy groups, say the floor of the Puget Sound is littered with tens of thousands of lost and abandoned crab pots.

Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.

Commission meets on Friday and Saturday

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission meets at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Lynnwood Embassy Suites at 20610 44th Ave. W. in Lynnwood.

For more information, go to www.wdfw.wa.gov.