WDFW to conduct a 2024 summer crab harvest survey for three Puget Sound marine areas

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct a select survey of Dungeness crab harvested in three Puget Sound marine areas during the 2024 summer crabbing season.

Dungeness crab Catch Record Card (CRC) holders that reported their 2024 summer catch in Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), and Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) may receive an email from WDFW asking to participate in a brief anonymous optional online survey. The survey will close on Dec. 23, 2024, at 11:45 p.m. PT.

“If contacted, your input is extremely important to us,” said Don Velasquez, WDFW crustacean biologist. “We are looking to collect additional harvest information that will provide important data for managing the Dungeness crab population.”

If a crabber harvested Dungeness crab in all three marine areas, they may receive separate emails with links to complete three surveys.

All crabbers licensed to fish for Dungeness crab in Puget Sound and Hood Canal are required to report their summer and winter harvest, even if they didn’t fish for or retain any crab. The CRCs are essential to track the recreational harvest, and estimates contribute to determining catch quotas and seasons.

For questions about the survey, please email PSRecreationalCrab@dfw.wa.gov. To learn more about crabbing in Puget Sound, take our Crabber Knowledge Quiz and visit the WDFW’s website.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.