Should West Coast States Be Allowed to Permanently Manage the Dungeness Crab Fishery Without Federal Interference? (H.R. 2168)

What is H.R. 2168?

(Updated October 21, 2019)

This bill would permanently extend a cooperative agreement allowing Oregon, Washington, and California to collaboratively manage the Dungeness crab fishery off the West Coast. The agreement was first authorized by Congress in 1996, and has been in effect for 17 years, and is currently set to expire in 2016.

Participating states will continue to work with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission — a federal and state partnership — to manage the crab stocks and conduct fishery science.

Argument in favor

The 17 years of state-managed fisheries have shown that California, Oregon, and Washington can keep the Dungeness crab harvest at a sustainable level to ensure the long-term prosperity of fishermen and coastal communities.

Argument opposed

The jury is still out regarding the effectiveness of state-managed fisheries — the federal government should remain involved enough that it can step in and regulate if the states start to lose their grip on the crab population.

Impact

Consumers of Dungeness crab; people who fish for Dungeness crab recreationally or commercially; the fish and wildlife regulators of Oregon, Washington, and California; the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; and Congress.

Cost of H.R. 2168

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: This bill was introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) with the support of four Democratic cosponsors who represent Oregon and Washington — two of the states that will be empowered to continue regulating the Dungeness crab fishery.

In a press release, Rep. Herrera Beutler said that: 

“Fishermen from Washington, Oregon and California are responsibly working together to keep the Dungeness crab fishery healthy and sustainable for future generations. They shouldn’t have to travel to Washington D.C. every few years to plead for the extension of a proven plan that has proven to work for our local economy and the Dungeness fishery.”

Of Note: Dungeness crab play a significant role in the economy of fishing communities along the Pacific Coast, as their combined catch was valued at about $252 million in 2013.

The fishery’s total average catch is about 42.5 million pounds per year, although this varies from year-to-year. For example, the Dungeness crab catch in Oregon has been as high as 33 million pounds and as low as 3.2 million pounds per year — with an average of 10.3 million pounds. This is due the cyclical nature of the Dungeness crab catch, which is usually characterized by several years of high numbers of crab caught followed by below average seasons.

However, cyclical catches aren’t indicative of a poorly managed fishery in this case, as this species of crab live between eight and 13 years — and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch gives the Dungeness crab its highest rating for sustainable management.

• Sponsoring Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) Press Release
• The Daily Astorian
• Chinook Observer
  
• National Fishermen
• Undercurrent News
• Pacific Fishery Management Council (In Favor)
• Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission (Context)