I got a reply to my query as to when Areas 7 and 8 will reopen for crabbing:

The reopening of Marine Areas to sport crab fishing is dependent on test fishing
results that determine when the molt is completed. Probable openings, based on
previous history, will be mid April for 8-2, mid May for 8-1, mid June for the
San Juan Islands, early July for the Anacortes to Bellingham areas, and early
August for the Birch Bay - Blaine area. For conservation reasons, all areas
will closed to non-pot crab fishing (rings, star traps, wade, dive, etc.) during
the molting period this year.

Hoy Cow! Bearing in mind the new-for-2001 ban on alternate gear during the molt, and assuming that the allocation closure continues to come earlier and earlier in the year (as it has the last few years), this implies that the San Juan Islands crabbing season will be about 4 months -- June to October.

While I think it's great to conserve the resource, what ends up happening is that the commercial crabbers drop 1000 pots and catch 1000000 crabs, but only for a little while. The local food network can't distribute it all, so they sell for $2 per pound. Then, for the rest of the year, you can't catch any crab yourself, and they're $6 and $8 per pound at the store, so you can't afford to buy them.

Why not bring the per-person take down to 3, and spread out the season again? I'd rather catch 3 per day spread throughout most of the year.

Regards.

Mike
Seattle