August 26, 2013 — COOS BAY, Oregon — The Oregon Dungeness Crab fishery plopped tens of millions of dollars on the Oregon coast this year. In a fishery known for its up and down nature, it has contributed enormously to the state’s economy over the past decade.
Hugh Link, Executive Director of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, recently returned from an economic summit where he touted some staggering numbers.
“Last 10 years, Oregon fishermen brought a billion dollars of seafood to the docks,” Link said. “That’s billion with a B.”
This season, according to preliminary numbers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, commercial crab fishermen landed more than 18.1 million pounds of crab. The southern port of Brookings had the highest catch numbers, with landings exceeding 4.8 million pounds, followed closely by Newport with 4.2 million.
Link says the season ended up surpassing last year’s 14.3 million pounds, but why that is remains a mystery.
Read the full story at the Coos Bay World