Washington crabbers who don’t report their summer catch by the upcoming deadline will face a fine for the first time, under a policy approved by the state Legislature last year.

Recreational crab fishing closes for a catch assessment in most areas of Puget Sound at sunset on Labor Day. Everyone licensed to fish for crab in the Sound has until Sept. 21 to report their summer catch, and those who fail to do so face a $10 fine that will be imposed when they apply for their 2010 fishing licenses.

“This fishery is becoming more popular every year, which makes it more important than ever to track the catch as closely as possible,” said Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead for the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department.

Licensed crabbers are required to submit summer catch reports to WFWD whether or not they went crabbing or caught any Dungeness crab. The fine is intended to increase the number of catch reports filed and enable the department to more accurately determine the number of crab caught.

Beyond the threat of a fine, the department is providing an additional incentive for crabbers who follow the rule—everyone who files their catch reports by the deadline will be entered in a draw for one of 10 free 2010 combination fishing licenses, which allow license holders to fish for a variety of freshwater and saltwater species.

Catch information can be reported on WDFW’s licensing website between Sept. 8 and 21, or the cards can be mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. Additional cards can be purchased online here.

The fine is intended to increase reporting and give fishery managers a more accurate picture of the number of crab caught during the season.

This is the third year summer crab catch reports are required after Labor Day, with fall/winter reports due between Jan. 2-15. The two-stage reporting system is designed to give fishery managers more accurate information about the recreational crab catch during the course of the season, Childers said.

“The mid-season catch report will help us by providing a much clearer picture of the catch-to-date,” Childers said.

Six areas of Puget Sound will close to crab fishing Sept. 7, including marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 8-1 (Deception Pass to East Point), 8-2 (East Point to Possession Point), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon). Crabbing will be open the entire Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7.

Meanwhile, sport crabbing remains open in the following areas:

• Marine areas 7S, 7E, and 7N (Bellingham-San Juan Islands) are scheduled to remain open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, plus the entire Labor Day weekend, closing Sept. 30.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) is scheduled to remain open Wednesdays through Saturdays only through Jan. 2.
• Marine areas 4 and 5 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and 13 in southern Puget Sound are scheduled to remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2.

Crabbers who continue to fish in an open area after Sept. 7 should record their catch on their winter catch card, valid Sept. 8 through Jan. 2.

“By submitting accurate catch reports, sport crabbers play an important role in the management of the Puget Sound crab fishery,” Childers said. “It’s vital that we hear from everyone—including those who haven’t caught crab so far this year—because that information is part of the equation.”

For more information about recreational crabbing in Puget Sound, go to WDFW’s website.