Crabbers battling

on many fronts

This is an announcement directed at the Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association general membership. We have a meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Ocean Center, 1600 N. Montesano St. in Westport.

Washington coastal crabbers have endured overwhelming changes in management and profitability over the last 10-15 years.

The one thing Washington crabbers could count on year to year was the unknown.

The question most Washington crabbers and their families have had to ask is how much we will be forced to adapt and how much will we have to endure in order to survive the next season.

The Washington Dungeness Crab Association has been fighting for coastal crabbers since 1976. Without the input and influence of the association, the impacts on our coastal fishery from tribal sharing obligations, Marine Spatial Planning, the push for off-shore wind energy projects, the push for Sports Priority nationwide, potential federal management of crab, potential whale entanglement regulations, recent oil terminal projects, policy decisions, legislative decisions and excessive regulations would be far more severe than they presently are.

Our struggles have not gotten any easier, and some solutions have often driven wedges between us, but in order to preserve our fundamental rights to fish and to secure our fishing futures it will take continued participation by current members and new participation by others who are not presently members. The larger issues that threaten us all cannot be ignored. If they are, we will be devoured.

“If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”

It is recognized world-wide as biologically healthy and sustainable. It remains one of the last non-federally regulated West Coast fisheries. If you care about this fishery and what it means to all of us, then let us help each other to preserve our access to this valuable resource.

Join us at the meeting Jan. 17, to renew your membership, to discuss issues that concern us all and to choose our board members.

Larry Thevik

Vice President, Washington Dungeness Crab Association