November 25, 2015 — In a bit of good news for California’s beleaguered crab fishermen, four members of Congress announced Tuesday they would call for federal disaster relief in the unlikely event the state’s commercial fishing season for Dungeness crab is canceled altogether.
In a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, the representatives urged the governor to “stand ready” to ask U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to provide compensation to fishermen and businesses if the crab season — postponed indefinitely Nov. 6 because of high levels of a biotoxin called domoic acid — is wiped out.
The congressmen and congresswomen who signed the letter — Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara; Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel; Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael; and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough — represent coastal communities affected by the closure. Last season fishermen earned nearly $67 million from Dungeness crab in California.