98 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 13, No. 7 



Japanete fished foi 



DUNGENESS CRAB 



Of the several kinds of crabs vfhich inhabit the Pacific Ocean, there is 

 perhaps ndrie more commercially important than the Dungeness crab. The origins 

 of the crab fishery were in the San Francisco Bay 

 area, and as early as 1890, one to two million 

 crabs were taken annually. The Dungeness crab was 

 at first taken from sheltered bays and inlets , but 

 as the fishery expanded, fishermen set their crab 

 pots in the nore exposed coastal waters . The 

 Oregon and Washington crab pro duct ion has in recent 

 years surpassed the annual California production, 

 and appreciable catches of Dungeness crabs are now 

 takenin southeastern and central Alaska. In 1949, 

 the U. 3. and Alaska production of Dungeness crabs 

 totaled 35,033,701 pounds with a value of $3,543,139 

 to the fishermen. From this total, there were 

 114,854 standard cases (48 cans per case, each 

 can containing 6g oz. of meat) of crab meat packed, 

 valued at $2,547,765 to the canners. West Coast 

 plants canning crab meat in 1949 numbered 18 in 

 Washington, 10 each in Oregon and Alaska, and 1 in 

 California. 



A large part of the Dungeness crab meat is 

 marketed fresh or frozen on the Pacific Coast, 

 but in Alaska almost the entire catch is carjied. 

 It is believed that the production of canned Dun- 

 geness crab meat can be increased in the future 

 as the market is developed and methods of catching 

 and processing are improved. 



Female Dungeness crabs mature in about 4 years 

 and measure about 4 inches across the shell. Males 

 may require an additional moult, or about 5 years 

 to reach maturity. In the vicinity of Puget Sound 

 the average life span is approximately 8 years. 



The greater portion of 

 ■Dungeness crabs are taken 

 in pots set 150 to 300 feet 

 apart in 6 to 15 fathoms of 

 water. Most traps are set 

 and hauled by small povfer- 

 boats equipped with a boom 

 and power gurdy. ^tJheti fish- 

 ing the traps , the boat picks 

 up the trap by means of a 

 buoy line, hauls it on board, 

 and sets a new baited trap. 

 While the boat moves on to 

 another trap, the first is 

 unloaded and rebaited so that 

 it can replace the next one 

 pulled. 



