Commercial crab fishermen had sought an emergency stay order requiring the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove the catch limit before the commercial crab season ends Sept. 15. But in the Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Hirsch denied the request Friday saying they failed to show the crabbing restriction was “arbitrary and capricious.”
According to the information the state had imposed a weekly limit of 2,500 pounds per week on Aug. 28 to protect Dungeness crabs. That limit was raised to 4,500 pounds on Sept. 1. Larry Breitsprecher of Westport and owner of Shearwater Two, opined that they’re making it so that we can’t even afford to live. It ain’t working. Their summer management plan ain’t working.
The fishermen, most based in Westport on the coast, had argued the state used faulty dockside crab inspections to set the limit. Joseph Shorin, a senior assistant attorney general representing the state agency, said the catch limit was based on a number of inspections and information from several sources. They consider dockside inspections as well as inspections on vessels.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Darrell Cochran of Tacoma argued in court filings that the limits would cause “irreparable harm” to many of the 228 commercial crab fisherman who have been having a tough season.
