FEBRUARY 2008: AROUND THE STATE
Crab numbers low
ASTORIA
By early January fishermen off Oregon’s coast had pulled
in 7.7 million pounds of crab — a low number compared
with some years, but better than hoped for following
December’s massive storms, which many feared had wiped
out a significant number of crab pots. “We anticipated
hearing some real bad reports, but they were ready for it and
placed their gear in deeper water so it ended up not getting
sanded in,” says Brandon Ford, a spokesperson with the
Department of Fish and Wildlife. Crab catch numbers are
expected to peak this month, and undoubtedly some fishermen
will be looking ahead to salmon season and wondering if their
luck will hold. The 2007 ocean troll season was the
second-worst on record: 463,500 pounds — a far cry from
the usual yearly average of 2 million pounds.
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