Saving Seafood

Aquaculture nonprofit sues Washington Department of Natural Resources over ban on net pen fish farming

March 3, 2025 — A Washington aquaculture nonprofit is suing the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over its recent ban on net pen fish farming on state-owned aquatic lands in Washington.

The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 27 in Thurston County Superior Court, was brought forth by the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance. It alleges the state agency’s rulemaking process was “predetermined and inadequate,” the lawsuit states.

Net pens are large floating structures where fish or seafood are grown and have been used in the Salish Sea for four decades. In January, the DNR banned the use of commercial net pens in state waters and said the ban would help protect Puget Sound waterways.

With the ban, the lawsuit claims DNR failed to follow the Administrative Procedure Act, violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and created arbitrary rules.

“DNR does not have unfettered authority to regulate aquaculture,” the lawsuit states.

Northwest Aquaculture Alliance also claims DNR’s ban harms its members by reducing or fully eliminating business opportunities.

Read the full article at KTVB

WASHINGTON: Imposter captain steals Westport fishing boat with crew onboard

February 26, 2025 — An imposter stole a fishing vessel — with the crew still on board — from a dock in Westport, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police.

WDFW Sergeant Alexander was reportedly patrolling in Westport when he “heard a radio call for a vehicle theft in progress; not the usual car or motorcycle theft, but an eight-million-dollar, 80-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Jamie Marie.”

According to police, the imposter had boarded the boat, awoken the crew, and informed them that they needed to get underway. The newer crew who didn’t know the captain didn’t argue, thinking he was perhaps an alternate operator or sent by the real captain.

Read the full article at KIRO 7

WASHINGTON: State of Washington proposes changes to Dungeness crab fishery to reduce whale entanglement risk

February 11, 2025 — Fishery regulators in the U.S. state of Washington are considering changing the rules for its commercial Dungeness crab fisheries in an attempt to further reduce risks of whale entanglements.

The vertical lines used in American pot fisheries, including Dungeness crab fisheries, risk entangling endangered whale populations, including humpback whales on the U.S. West Coast.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

WASHINGTON: Coastal Dungeness crab season kicks off after months of testing

February 7, 2025 — The state’s coastal commercial Dungeness crab season is underway, following months of test fishing and data gathering by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

This year’s season opened Jan. 15 from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Ore., including the Columbia River and Willapa Bay, and will start Feb. 11 from Klipsan Beach north to the U.S.-Canada border, including Grays Harbor, according to a news release from WDFW.

The Washington, Oregon and California fish and wildlife departments decide season openers each year as part of a tri-state agreement signed in the 1990s to cooperatively manage the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. Per the agreement, the season can open as early as Dec. 1, but opening dates vary and are based on test fishing to determine crab condition.

Over the fall and early winter, WDFW biologists and scientific technicians collected and measured crabs aboard commercial fishing vessels the Department contracts with for test fishing. They also observed seafood processing plants as workers picked out and packed crab meat.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

WASHINGTON: Washington’s Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Launches, Tri-State Management for West Coast Fisheries

February 5, 2025 —  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has officially commenced the state’s coastal commercial Dungeness crab season, following detailed test fishing and data analysis. Commercial fishers cast their pots in the waters stretching from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula down to Cape Falcon in Oregon, as of January 15, 2025. The much-anticipated crabbing also includes the Columbia River and Willapa Bay regions, while the remaining portion of the season, from Klipsan Beach to the U.S.-Canada border and encompassing Grays Harbor, kicks off on February 11, as reported by the WDFW website.

The coordination for the season’s launch is a tri-state affair, with Washington, Oregon, and California fisheries departments working together under an agreement from the 1990s that aims for cooperative management of the Dungeness crab fishery across the West Coast. The agreement outlines potential season openings as early as December 1, with actual dates hinging on the health and condition of the crabs, determined through careful test fishing. Biologists and scientific technicians from WDFW have boarded commercial vessels to collect and measure crabs, ensuring that they achieve a threshold of 23% meat recovery before officially declaring a season opener, which signifies the crabs’ readiness for the market both in terms of quantity and quality.

According to a test fishing trip out of Westport, WDFW coastal shellfish technician Clayton Parson said, “Once you hit that 23% mark, the crabs are improving every day and are ready to be harvested.” This benchmark is crucial considering the Dungeness crab’s economic significance; for instance, the 2023–24 coastal commercial season brought in $66.8 million for the state, as per the WDFW Medium article. Testament to the industry’s value is the record-setting $88.2 million from the 2021–22 season.

Read the full article at Hoodline

Washington state officers cite group for illegal crab harvesting

January 24, 2025 — Wildlife officers from the U.S. state of Washington caught a group illegally harvesting crabs from the Puget Sound, citing them for multiple violations.

According to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) social media post, officers spotted a group harvesting crab late in the evening off the pier in the city of Mukilteo, just north of Seattle. The officers followed one of the harvesters as they brought crab back to their vehicle, where an inspection revealed dozens of crabs inside a bag and a cooler.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

WASHINGTON: Washington State bans net-pen aquaculture

January 9, 2025 — Commercial finfish pen aquaculture appears finished in Washington State, after the Board of Natural Resources voted Jan. 7 to ban the industry.

The vote was a victory for Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who pushed for strict limitations on leasing state tidelands for aquaculture.

“Avoiding impacts is our legal and moral responsibility,” Franz said, according to the Seattle Times. “I ask why did we ever allow this…I am asking the board to learn from the past and the effects of our decision.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

WASHINGTON: US state of Washington reaffirms ban on net pen aquaculture

January 8, 2025 — The State Board of Natural Resources for the U.S. state of Washington has voted to finalize a ban on finfish farming in state waters, codifying a ban that was first implemented unilaterally in 2022.

Momentum for a state ban on net pen aquaculture grew after the 2017 collapse of a Cypress Island fish farm operated by aquaculture company Cooke, which released hundreds of thousands of Atlantic salmon into state waters. Cooke was fined for the collapse, and ultimately, the state legislature passed a law ending Atlantic salmon farming in the state.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US West Coast governors seek financial relief for albacore fishers

January 3, 2024 — The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have asked the U.S. federal government to provide financial aid for the states’ struggling commercial West Coast Pacific albacore troll/hook-and-line fishery.

Last year was the fishery’s worst performing season in 30 years, California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a recent statement. The fishery generated USD 9.5 million (EUR 9.3 million) in ex-vessel value in 2024, notably lower than the five-year average of USD 24.6 million (EUR 24 million).

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

West Coast Dungeness fleets navigate changes, delays

December 11, 2024 — While California’s Dungeness crab fleet waits for delayed waters to open, Washington and Oregon fishermen have geared up for their 2024-2025 seasons under familiar pressures of conservation and commerce. With winter crabbing generally in full swing, balancing marine sustainability with vital economic returns is the focus.

In Washington, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) emphasizes its regulatory approach to protecting marine mammals, citing updates from previous seasons as a foundation for the current year. Measures to reduce entanglement risk remain crucial, with state and tribal co-managers collaborating to meet conservation goals while supporting fishermen. WDFW published a Dungeness Crab Newsletter to go over a report of the 2023- 2024 season and new regulations for this year. Other sources have shared that the Washington Dungeness season will be delayed until the end of 2024.

Read the full article at National Fisherman