January 27, 2021 — North Carolina’s blue crab season was a bit different this year with lower catches and higher prices. But in the end, it turned out to be a good year for the fishery.
“It was definitely a good year,” says Jeff Styron of Garland Fulcher Seafood in Oriental, N.C. “The stock was down but the prices were higher.”
“The retail market did very well, likely because folks stayed home more,” says Styron. “That said, the restaurants really took a hit this year. Really a mixed bag.”
Daniel Zapf, a fisheries biologist with the state Division of Marine Fisheries, agrees.
“My sense is that most crabbers would consider this season to be pretty good. It seemed like landings might not have been high. But according to dealers, we’ve heard from prices have been good recently,” says Zapf.
The statistics confirm the drop in catches.
The 2020 Commercial Landings Bulletin (January-June) indicates a decrease in blue crab landings, from 7.28 million pounds landed in 2019 to 5.48 million pounds for the same period this year. Similar decreases were recorded for peelers – down from 401,108 pounds to 259,881 pounds. Soft crab landings also dropped from 172,311 to 113,080 pounds for the same period in 2020.