From the peaceful Chesapeake Bay with its blue crabs to the colossal snow crabs 1,300 feet deep under the Bering Sea, today we’re heading to the U.S. to learn how billions of crabs are harvested, processed, and exported.
Our first stop is the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington, teeming with Dungeness crabs—the most commercially important crab in the Pacific Northwest. In 2022, 36.6 million pounds of Dungeness crabs were harvested and sold for $181 million. A female crab can hold up to 2.5 million eggs for two years. Crabs grow by shedding their shells, transforming from microscopically tiny to full-sized in just 2 to 3 years. Though Dungeness crabs can actually live up to 8 to 13 years, many are caught at about 4 years old or die from predators and environmental factors. This is why fishery authorities closely monitor crab population dynamics to ensure sustainable crabbing.
Dungeness crab fishing season typically runs from November 4th to July 30th, but it’s been pushed back six years in a row to protect humpback whales, which migrate from California to their breeding grounds in Mexico and Central America in the fall. Crabbing has always been a physically demanding job, but today machines like winches and GPS have made the job easier. The crabber’s workday starts very early. In the crab season, they prepare their boats and head out to the crab traps set the previous day. On the way, they often prepare baits made from fish and shrimp scraps. With 175 to 500 crab traps waiting for them each day, every minute counts.
When they reach the first buoy—the brightly colored marker indicating the trap’s location—the captain uses the winch to bring the crab trap up and hands it to the shaker. The shaker then shakes out the crabs and puts in new bait. Meanwhile, the sorter examines the harvested crabs. Only male crabs with carapaces above 6.25 inches are legal to keep. Female crabs, recognizable by their wider aprons, and small male crabs must be released back into the sea to ensure the sustainability of the population.
This meticulous process, aided by modern technology, allows American fishermen to harvest billions of crabs efficiently while maintaining sustainable practices to protect both the crab populations and the broader marine ecosystem. Through hard work and careful management, these fishermen help bring delicious crabs from the ocean to tables around the world.
