Although it’s still too early for fishery managers to forecast how the 2025 Dungeness Crab season will turn out, at the global level it may appear likely another year of lower landings than the exceptionally abundant harvest of 2023.

In speaking with Troy Buell of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, he noted the season has started slowly due to stormy weather, limiting fishing days, and that so far, over 4.2 million pounds have been landed with an average docks price of $5 per pound.

According to ODFW, commercial fishery predictions are generally accurate but tend to be underestimated during marine heat waves, which are now common. Projected crab landings for Oregon for the next four seasons are estimated at 11, 30, 19, and 8 million pounds, though these figures may be low as megalopae returns during heat wave years aren't yet factored into their modeling.



Oregon's Dungeness fishery was the only one among the tri-states to open during the holiday season, starting up December 16 in the southern region, whereas California’s southern area didn’t see an opening until January 5th. At the time of reporting, Washington’s season is delayed to at least January 15th. Alaska's fall season ended in November and will reopen in May, while BC's year-round fishery sees slower landings in fall and winter compared to summer.

Taking just a sneak peak into Snow Crab season for 2025 and our preliminary estimates are for a global harvest of over 150,000 metric tons stemming from a bump in Total Allowable Catch from most countries and the Alaskan fishery opening back up. Canada (the largest Snow Crab fishery in the world) typically starts up in April with TAC announcements just before.

Our recommendation is to secure your precommitments for Dungeness crab now, as the supply outlook suggests a repeat of last year, potentially with even less Dungeness available.



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