For as long as humans have built boats, there have been people who go out to the sea and return with food for their communities.
Washington is no different. Across the coast and here in Grays Harbor County, fishermen are preparing for the Dungeness crab season, now scheduled to open up on Jan. 15.
“I’ve been crab fishing since I graduated from high school in 2007,” said Robert Mirante. “This is my fifth season running a boat as an owner-operator.”
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Robert comes from a family of fishermen; his father fished for decades, and he and all his brothers run their own boats.
“That’s what we do for a living,” Robert said.
Uncertainty about the start date of this year’s season, pushed back later by low crab numbers just this past Thursday, affects the entire community, said Perry Graham, captain of the Amberlynn.
“It’s always stressful — it is — not knowing. It’d be nice to have your set days to know when to work,” Graham said. “You’re rushing rushing rushing to get ready and then you might sit there for a month or two.”
Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World Crab pots line the piers, ready for loading for the season for Dungeness crab draws near.
That uncertainty is felt keenly, said Paul Mirante. With a young child, not knowing when he’ll ship out and begin the season is a suboptimal place to be.
“The thing that’s the worst right now is the uncertainty. We don’t know when we’re going fishing and we don’t know what we’re getting paid,” Paul said. “The day after Christmas, I don’t know if I’m taking off for a month or if I can stay here for a few more weeks.”
The traditional uncertainty over the start date of the season and the price the crab is going to fetch this year can take their toll, Paul said.
“I’ve already been not sleeping because of it. It’s terrible,” Paul said. “There’s just so many different variables in the crab fisheries.”
Those can be worrying, Graham said, especially to the captains who are responsible for how their season goes and the livelihood of their crew.
“I’m a 24 year old with high blood pressure,” Graham said “I’m always worried about numbers. Especially years where they’re not predicting a high price, it can be a little more worrisome.”
Courtesy photo / Paul Mirante Fisherman pull pots during a previous Dungeness crab season.
Ready, steady, go
The prep work begins months before the season starts, Paul said, as the crew readies the boat and the gear to sail.
“It’s probably a good three weeks of getting the gear ready and three weeks of getting the boat ready to go,” Paul said. “There’s literally a hundred thousand moving parts on a crab boat and you’re relying on all that to stay together. You check and double check and recheck.”
The boat is a splinter, a vessel a few dozen feet long afloat upon the thunderous vastness of the Pacific Ocean, a body of water not noted for its tranquil, calm demeanor in the winter.
“I think it’s gonna be kind of a harsh winter,” Graham said. “It might be the kind of winter where we only fish two days a week and get our ass kicked to do it.”
Being prepared and being as safe as possible is absolutely critical, Paul said, relating a story where an improperly-installed fitting nearly caused his boat to capsize several years ago.
“We were getting ready to get plucked out of the water,” Paul said. “If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen out there.”
Miles and miles of line, hundreds of crab pots, all the bait and storage, and a thousand more details have to be made ready ahead of opening day, Paul said.
“Once we get our date, it’s instant checking the weather every six hours,” Paul said. “Then you’re making your game plan. You’re getting the boat loaded.”
The Amber Lynn, Perry Graham’s boat, makes its way. (Courtesy photo / Perry Graham)
Off to the races
Once the season starts, Paul said, it can be a fairly frenetic beginning.
“Once you’re out there, you’re doing it,” Paul said. “You get as much as you can, as fast you can. You need to make sure you have good crew. If you don’t have good crew, you’re done for.”
It’s hard to know how the season will go until the boats actually get out there, Robert said.
“Some years it’s more crabs, some years it’s less crabs,” Robert said. “As far as volume, we’re always hopeful that it’s going to be good, but we’re not going to know till we go out there.”
The price of crab is largely driven by the seafood processors who buy the crab, Robert said.
“I think there’s a little uncertainty about the price, what we’re going to get paid,” Robert said. “As life changes, that changes. A good price is whatever pays the bills and takes care of our families. It has to be in proportion.”
Costs like fuel, insurance, maintenance, equipment and more all add up, Robert said. If the price offered for the crab isn’t sufficient, fishermen won’t be able to afford to go out.
Courtesy photo / Paul Mirante Fisherman pull pots during a previous Dungeness crab season.
“Nothing is getting cheaper. As a fisherman, we can’t afford to get paid less,” Robert said. “People don’t get their seafood unless someone goes and catches it. It all depends on the value of what you’re offering.”
Another issue for many fishermen is the gap between the end of the last season and the start of the next, Robert said.
“I think that is the hardest part for me as the provider for my family. In July and August, I’m thinking about finances,” Robert said. “When the season ends in September, we don’t collect a paycheck until fishing starts again.”
Maintaining a home life can be difficult during the season, Graham said.
“It’s hard on mom too, getting stuck with both kids,” Graham said. “Me showing up weird hours of the night and being gone before they wake up.”
Fishermen will often pivot to other fisheries in order to keep working year-round, Robert said, though he’s eased back from that to spend more time with his family.
“My wife and I have decided we will live a certain lifestyle,” Robert said. “There’s other fisheries that I don’t participate in as heavily because that would take me away from home, and I want to be home.”
Fishermen pull up a pot full of Dungeness crabs during the season. (Courtesy photo / Robert Mirante)
It’s a living
As the predicted opening day of Jan. 15 approaches, Graham said he is ready to get out there and get the job done.
“I’m one of the die-hards that fish it all the way to September,” Graham said. “I mean, it’s a real sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing how hard you work is exactly what you get in return. That’s one of my favorite things about it.”
For Paul, he said it’s about keeping cool and handling whatever happens.
“You try not stress out too much. It’s a high stress deal. You gotta keep your cool while stuff is hitting the fan,” Paul said. “When you’re fishing, you’re gonna come across stuff. You can’t lose your composure, no matter what.”
Robert said he couldn’t really see another way of life.
“I think, ultimately, we just kind of keep working toward the goal of every year, things get a little better, like paying off the boat or paying off the permit,” Robert said. “Things are not easy. It’s pretty tough sometimes. But I really don’t want to do anything else.”
While it has its downs, he’s comfortable with and he wants to keep on heading out each season as life marches forward, Robert said.
“It’s very stressful at times for various reasons. We’re fishermen and some days are rough and that’s the way it is,” Robert said. “All of that stuff is not the best stuff to deal with, but at the end of the day I’m happy doing it and I want to keep doing it.”
Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.
Courtesy photo / Robert Mirante Fisherman stack pots during a previous Dungeness crab season.
