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As season nears, crabbers warned to keep gear away from ferries

Washington State Ferries is warning recreational crabbers after hundreds of sailings were canceled last year when ferries became tangled with crab pot lines.

KIRO 7 Reporter Michael Spears was on the water with state ferries and fish and wildlife staff to show you what recreational crab fishers can do to say out of the way of ferries and still have a good season. Watch his report during our 5 p.m. news.

In 2017, three ferries on three routes were taken out of service because incidents with crab pots, so as the crab season is set to begin in most areas this weekend, WSF and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife police are asking recreational crabbers to keep their gear out of ferry lanes, docks and terminals. They should also make sure their gear is properly set so that it isn’t swept into areas where ferries travel.

Crab lines that become tangled in the shafts of vessels can lead to expensive repairs as well as delays for travelers.

“Crab pots caused the most severe damage to the propulsion system on the Salish ferry last summer,” said Greg Faust, director of WSF operations for the Washington State Department of Transportation. “The loss of this vessel alone resulted in nearly 800 canceled sailings on the Port Townsend/Coupeville and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth routes as we shuffled boats around to balance service needs across our system.”

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Most areas of Puget Sound will open for recreational crabbing on Saturday except for two areas around the San Juan Islands that open later this summer.

Recreational crab fishing will be open Thursday through Monday each week during the summer. Crabbing is closed Tuesday and Wednesday each week. As the Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year, no sport crab fishing is allowed on that day.

Crabbing is expected to be good again this year and more people are expected to participate.

“We need crabbers to help prevent conflicts with ferries as they hit the water this year,” said WDFW Police Captain Dan Chadwick.

Chadwick outlined several ways for crab fishers to be successful while avoiding problems with ferries:

  • Add Weight to Lines – Propellors can sever or wrap up a line floating along the surface. Use sinking lines when possible, and add weight to keep floating lines off the surface.
  • Know Water Depth – The easiest way to lose a pot is to drop one in water deeper than the length of line attached. Use a line that is one-third longer than the water depth to keep pots from floating away.
  • Watch Pots – Stay close to dropped crab pots to ensure all are accounted for at the end of the day.
  • Add Extra Weights to Crab Pots – In many instances, adding just 10 pounds of weight can help recreational crab pots stay put.
  • Use Escape Cord – Biodegradable cotton cord, which is required on all pots, will degrade and allow crabs to escape if a pot is lost.
  • Identify Crab Pots – All recreational crab pot buoys must have the crab fisher's name and address on them, and a phone number is recommended.

Chadwick said that more than 12,000 crab pots are lost each year and many of the pots continue to kill crabs. He said anyone who loses crab pots should immediately report it online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/lost_gear/ or by calling 1-855-542-3935 (WDFW). There are no fines for reporting lost fishing gear.

For more information on crab fishing, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/.

Fish and Wildlife asks that any suspected illegal activity should be reported as soon as possible by calling 1-877-933-9847.

Cox Media Group

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