April 2, 2026 — As the Dungeness crab season winds down on the Washington coast, fishermen are closing out a difficult year marked by low landings and rising fuel costs – pressures now being felt across all U.S. fisheries.
According to reporting from the Chinook Observer, Washington commercial crabbers landed 9,382,410 pounds of crab as of March 23, putting the season on pace to be the lowest-volume year since 2014-2015. At the same time, marine diesel prices are hovering near $6 per gallon, adding strain to an already challenging season.
“Hopefully, we’re at the point where it won’t go up anymore,” F/V Brandy owner and captain Ryan Walters told the Observer before departing on a trip with crew on March 28.
Fuel remains one of the largest expenses for vessels. Crew member Paul Munowich, who has fished commercially for 25 years, said prices are among the highest he can remember. “Fuel is one of our biggest expenses, just one of those things you’ve got to deal with,” he told the Observer, noting their vessel holds 3,000 gallons– putting a full fuel bill at more than $15,000.
While ex-vessel prices have held steady, the lack of volume has made for a tough season. “It’s been slow, a tough year,” Walters said. “The price has been good, just not the volume.”
Even so, fishermen are continuing to fish through the added costs. “It just affects the bottom line,” Munowich said. “That’s the problem with this industry –a lot of it gets dictated out of our control, but we’ve just got to keep fishing,” he told the Observer.