Crab pots in Fisherman's Bay "likely legal tribal pots"

Contributed by Kit Rawson, Chair of the San Juan Marine Resources Committee (MRC)

A rumor is circulating that there are illegal crab pots in Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez Island. This is probably not the case.  These are likely legal tribal pots. 

The Tribes and non-Indians each get one half of the crab quota in Region 1, which include the San Juan Islands, the Point Roberts area, Bellingham and Samish Bays.  The non-Indian quota includes both commercial and sport catch.  The state keeps certain areas, such as Fisherman’s Bay, closed to commercial harvest and open for recreational
harvest only. 

This provides access to the resource for individuals close to home, leaving the deeper and farther out areas for commercial harvesters.  Most of the time the Tribes adopt these area closures that the state requests, but when the Tribes are behind on achieving their quota towards the end of the season, they sometimes choose to open these areas to help catch up on their quota. 

To find out more about tribal fisheries, you can contact Kari Neumeyer, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission information officer at (360) 424-8226.

The MRC is providing information about crab management because it is a concern for many people in the San Juan Islands.  We learned at an MRC meeting in January that residents have some very legitimate concerns that could be addressed through management measures. 

We think it’s worth taking the time to understand the crab fishery so that appropriate
proposals can be made to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).  Local recreational harvesters want year round access to areas close to home, and the Tribes want access to sufficient resources to achieve their catch quota. 

These management questions are all appropriate for discussion between San Juan County residents and WDFW and between WDFW and the Tribes.  We do not have an enforcement issue here but rather a management issue.

Andy Holman and David Loyd are the two MRC members who will be discussing crab management with various community groups in coming weeks.  Please let us know if you’d like to be kept in the loop.