by San Francisco, California — Bay Area seafood lovers hoping for fresh, locally caught Dungeness crab will need to wait a little longer, as the already delayed commercial crab season faces another setback due to dangerous ocean conditions and an unresolved pricing dispute between fishermen and buyers.
Although the local commercial season is technically set to open Monday, most crab boats remain docked near Fisherman’s Wharf, with fishermen saying conditions are not yet safe — or financially workable — to head out.
Rough seas keep crab boats in port
High winds and large swells off the San Francisco coast forced fishermen to delay plans to deploy crab pots this week. Crews were originally expected to head out Friday morning, which would have allowed them to retrieve pots and sell crab as soon as the season opens.
Instead, hazardous conditions have pushed that timeline back.
“We’re not going to drop until, at the earliest, probably Monday or Tuesday,” said Jonathan Tin, a commercial crab fisherman.
“At least, if the weather gets nice, we can go out and do it safely. We don’t have to risk our lives doing a job that’s already really dangerous.”
On Friday, Tin loaded two boats with crab pots but opted not to leave the harbor as winds and swells intensified just offshore.
Pricing dispute adds another layer of delay
Even if the weather improves, Bay Area crab boats won’t leave until fishermen and buyers reach a pricing agreement.
According to John Barnett, fishermen are seeking an additional 50 to 75 cents per pound from fish markets and wholesale buyers before committing to the season.
Until a deal is reached, boats will remain tied up.
“It’s not expected to be a tremendous amount of crabs out here,” Barnett said.
“So we want to get the most money that we can for them and make this a season, especially without our salmon season the last few years.”
Barnett noted that commercial salmon fishing has been closed for three consecutive years, making the crab season more critical than ever for fishermen’s livelihoods.
Delays already cut into peak holiday demand
This year’s crab season has already been pushed from November into January due to whale migration protections, costing fishermen the most profitable holiday window around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“Not starting in November was really hard for us because we missed out on the holiday price,” Tin said.
State regulations have also limited fishermen to 60 percent of their allowable crab pots, further reducing potential earnings.
“We have a 350-pot permit,” Tin explained. “So 60% of that is 210 pots.”
With fewer traps in the water and rising fuel and operating costs, fishermen say higher dock prices are essential to make the season viable.
Restaurants hope for lower prices — but want local crab
From the restaurant perspective, operators say lower prices would benefit consumers — but local crab still drives demand.
“Lower price will mean we can pass it along to the consumer,” said Bob Partrite, whose company operates multiple restaurants at Pier 39.
For now, most Dungeness crab sold in Bay Area markets and restaurants is coming from Oregon and Washington, not local waters.
“When it is local Dungeness crab season and we can offer local crabs, we tend to see an increase in crab sales,” Partrite said. “There’s nothing like getting it the day it was pulled out of the water, right off the boat locally.”
What happens next for Bay Area crab season
Both fishermen and buyers hope to resolve the pricing dispute by Monday. If weather conditions improve and a deal is reached, boats could head out as early as Tuesday, with the first local crab potentially arriving by Wednesday.
Some fishermen also plan to sell crab directly off their boats at Pier 45 and Pier 47, bypassing wholesalers and offering consumers a chance to buy fresh catch straight from the source.
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For fishermen like Tin, the stakes are especially high.
“This is our first year we bought the boat, and we’re excited to get out and start hauling in some crab,” he said.
Until then, Bay Area docks remain quiet — and local crab lovers will have to keep waiting.
Do you think crab prices should be higher to support local fishermen, or lower for consumers? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.
