Noel Kary stands at the end of the pier of Willapa Bay, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his grandson. He’s part of a 4th generation crab fishing family, and he didn’t stop commercial fishing until he was in his eighties. Now his grandson is fishing the very same waters of Willapa Bay. It’s a way of life for these families. It’s not easy, but it’s in their blood, and regardless of environmental issues, regulatory problems, and giant commercial boats creating unfair competition, they aren’t going to stop crabbing anytime soon.
I introduced myself to Noel, and a few others, just as his grandson’s boat pulled up to unload. “Oh, you’re a puker,” someone said in jest. “We used to call you tourists wash-aways, but I like puker better.” I tried to explain good naturedly that I’m not really a tourist, in fact I’m now living on the peninsula. I have also been on boats since I was five years old and have never gotten seas sick. However, my words were lost as they started to unload crab from the boat and weigh their bounty.
Unloading crab
The forklift guy and crane operator got in place, and suddenly the once sleepy pier was a hub of activity. Even someone’s golden retriever and lab pup came to look curiously over the side at all of the commotion, as if they too were anticipating a good catch. The season started off over a month late, but now their pots are full and their hopes are high.
The port of Willapa Bay
Environmental Problems
This year was what they unfortunately call a “no crab Christmas” because the season, which usually starts on the first of December, didn’t open until mid-January. That made for a lean Christmas for many of the people that make a living crab fishing, or depend on the industry for income, like their local suppliers. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, there’s a large fluctuation in crab harvest, mainly due to environmental issues, ranging from a low of 2.5 million pounds in 1981 to an all-time high of 25 million pounds in 2004-2005. Environmental issues, like warming water temperatures, or changing ocean currents, can have a big impact on both the quantity and quality of the catch.
Regulatory Issues
Just like any industry, the regulations change often, and it’s hard for these families to keep up. The policies are often made by people with no experience in the industry, so it can be frustrating to these fishing families, to say the least. It was one of the reasons the season started a month and half late. Some officer somewhere decided the crab weren’t yet big enough to begin the season. So, they had no choice but to wait as their boats sat dormant and workers anxiously awaited the start of the season.
Competition
Competition keeps getting tougher and tougher for crab fisherman. There are so many boats out there now, some with over 800 pots on a ship, that it makes crabs harder to find, and drives the prices down. Big business is slowly putting the squeeze on these smaller family owned boats. In fact, most of the deep sea crab fishing boats that sail out of the Port of Ilwaco were recently on strike, because the canneries wouldn’t give them the price they needed. However, the boats out of Willapa Bay weren’t willing to wait any longer, and despite the politics of it all, headed out to fish anyway.
Dungeness crab
I asked the crew why they choose to crab out of the bay, instead of the deep ocean. They told me that it gives them a sense of community. Approximately 25 percent of the entire workforce of Pacific County is either directly, or indirectly employed, because of fishing or shellfish harvesting in Willapa Bay. The boats are smaller, the families are tighter, and they get to go home to their loved ones every night. They love it so much that can’t conceive of doing anything else for a living. Let’s hope they never have to.