WDFW Celebrates Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery’s Electronic Monitoring Project
Biologists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say the coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery is the state’s most economically significant commercial fishery, with an average annual ex-vessel value of about $46.5 million.
The fishery is managed by WDFW along with four coastal treaty tribes and Harvest Management Plans between each tribe and WDFW are negotiated annually, in accordance with federal adjudication of fishing rights. Agreements often include temporary area-based measures, such as closures and/or pot limits, to achieve harvest sharing parity.
Fishing location data for the non-tribal fleet, including data used to track harvest sharing throughout the season is currently collected using paper vessel logbooks and buyers’ fish receiving tickets.
Robert ...