Washington wildlife department promotes crabbing for Valentine’s Day
(The Center Square) – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to remind residents of the Evergreen State that there are more ways to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day than buying a box of chocolates.
“In celebration of Valentine’s and American Heart Health Month, treat yourself and that special someone in your life with local, sustainable seafood instead of a box of chocolates!” said the WDFW on Twitter.
A longer message on the WDFW website urged Washingtonians to “kick it up a notch” this valentines day “by opting for sustainably managed, locally harvested Dungeness crab.”
“The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife uses extensive monitoring to ensure sustainable, ecologically resilient Dungeness crab populations,” the wildlife department said. “Pre-season and in-season testing include measuring crab shell size, hardness, and other data points, including the presence of marine toxins, to help get a better understanding of the health and abundance of the Dungeness crab population.”
In addition to being locally sourced and sustainably managed, Dungeness crab is “the state’s largest commercial fishery, generating over $50 million annually,” with just 248 commercial Dungeness licenses statewide according to statistics on the WDFW Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery page.
With the winter commercial fishing season for Dungeness just getting underway, the WDFW also wants people to know it’s a sport they can partake in as well, going on to say “The coast is also open for recreational crab fishing too!”
That’s not an invitation without restrictions however. Crabbers must “carry a current Washington fishing license”; “get a crab endorsement with their license and carry and complete catch record cards to account for all Dungeness crab they catch”; and report those catches to the WDFW at the end of each season, notes the department’s species page.
The department also includes recipes for fresh caught crabs, in partnership with the University of Washington College of the Environment SEA Grant program.
