Sport Crab Fishing Home  Licensing & Reporting Requirements Sport Crab Seasons for 2008 Crabbing Rules by Marine Area   Frequently Asked Questions  Crab Fishing Rule Changes Puget Sound Recreational Crabbing Quiz Fact Sheets Catch Record Cards Soft-shell Crab Historic Catches News Releases Five areas of Puget Sound reopen Nov. 1 for late-season crab fishing - Oct 26, 2007 Temporary catch record cards going out to Puget Sound crab fishers - May 31, 2007

VIDEO: CRABBING BASICS STREAMING VIDEO FORMATS Broadband | 56K Modem Running Time: 4:12 Broadband | 56K Modem Running Time: 4:12 Crabbing is one of Puget Sound’s most popular recreational fisheries. Each year, sport fishers catch more than a million pounds of Dungeness crab, using pots, ring nets and – in the case of wade and dive fishers – their bare hands. Red rock crab, not included in that figure, also contribute to the annual harvest. In addition to meeting licensing requirements, everyone who fishes for crab in Puget Sound must carry and complete catch record cards to account for all Dungeness crab they catch. Sport crabbers should be aware of three significant changes in the catch-card reporting system that take effect in 2007: Two-card reporting system: All sport crabbers fishing in Puget Sound are required to report their Dungeness crab catch on separate summer and fall/winter catch record cards during the course of the season. The new cards will be separate from the multi-species card used to record catches of salmon, halibut and other fish. On-line reporting: For the first time, sport crabbers will have the option of reporting their catch via the Internet at the end of each harvest period in lieu of mailing in their catch cards. The website address for reporting crab catches is printed on the catch cards along with the reporting deadlines. No coastal reporting: Catch record cards are no longer required to fish for Dungeness crab on the Washington coast (marine areas 1-4). After a decade of rapid growth in the recreational crab fishery, accurate accounting of the catch is more important than ever. Fishery managers rely on individual fishers’ catch record card reports to estimate recreational harvest and to set future crabbing opportunities. By completing catch record cards, fishers play a vital role in maintaining sustainable harvest opportunities.