EFP Cooked & Cleaned Dungeness Crab - 1 lb

1 lb of EFP Cooked & Cleaned Dungeness Crab

Dungeness Crab
Species: Cancer magister
Cook Date: 05/06/24
Consume or Freeze Date: 05/12/24
Boat: FV Areona
Captain: Khevin Mellegers
Port: Santa Cruz
Method: Experimental Popup Trap 
MBSW Rating: Unrated

Although our local commercial Dungeness Crab season was closed on March 28th of this year, the CA Fish & Game Commission recently issued permits to five vessels to test different pop-up fishing systems. This experimental gear is intended to reduce the risk of entanglement while providing increased fishing opportunities for fisherfolk.

Pop-up gear stores the rope and buoy with a string of traps connected by a groundline on the seafloor until fishermen are ready to retrieve the gear. This removes the entanglement risk posed by conventional gear where vertical fishing lines lay stagnant in the water for up to four days.

Biological Information: Dungeness Crab is a West Coast tradition with a fishery dating back to the late 1800’s. They have a unique life cycle that involves five different larvae stages before metamorphosing into mature crabs. The crabs molt annually allowing them to grow up to an inch during their molting season. Without an exoskeleton, they are left defenseless and can be found buried beneath the sand while waiting for their new shell to harden. Mating occurs immediately after molting with the male embracing the female for several days before mating begins. The female is able to carry 2.5 million eggs per season which she keeps safe by attaching them onto her body. When live, these crustaceans have a beautiful purple hue and are prized for the delicate, soft and mildly sweet flavor that is best appreciated fresh from the boat.