After a couple of frustrating years, Humboldt County’s crab fishermen are hopeful the new season will bring smooth economic sails.

Crabbers anticipate being able to set up their gear on Dec. 28 with an official start date just days later. But the fishermen still need to finish negotiating this year’s market prices — a process that could indefinitely delay the season’s start if it doesn’t move quickly. It’s illegal in California to sell crabs commercially without a set market price.

“We’re definitely worried,” said fisherman Scott Creps. “We’re hoping to get everything worked out and get a full season this year.”

In years past, the season has started as early as Dec. 1, but fishermen more recently have not been as lucky with crab meat levels. Crabs lose their shells in the summer months and slowly grow them back, leaving fishermen to hope the seafood is meaty enough to be sellable by wintertime.

“The crabs have to be 25% full on their meat,” explained fisherman Jake McMaster. “They test for the meat levels and if there isn’t enough, they’ll delay the season by two-week increments.”

The major worry is whether whales will become entangled in crab fishing gear off any of California’s coasts. In April, a major environmental lawsuit settlement forced the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to close the commercial crab fishery prematurely.

Instead of lasting through mid-summer, the season was over in the spring.

The cancellation served a major hit to local crabbers, who argued that whale entanglements are not nearly as significant a problem in Humboldt County’s waters as elsewhere along the coast (though they do occur; there was one whale entanglement off Eureka’s coast in 2018).

“The only thing this year that could go wrong… is if that settlement comes back to haunt us in the spring,” said Mike Cunningham, a commercial fisherman in Eureka. “This past year, it took away 40% of our season. If that happens too many years in a row, there will be a lot of grief.”

“A lot of guys depend on that late-season (revenue),” added Creps. “It was a big blow for a lot of guys. We really want to have our season progress as normal here for sure.”

One point of good fortune: The state is no longer warning of toxic domoic acid levels in local crabs. In that regard, the seafood is good to go.

“Our goal is to have as normal a season as possible,” Cunningham said. “Now the goal is to negotiate a good price for January.”

Shomik Mukherjee can be reached at 707-441-0504.