Ever so slowly the big blue boat with the white wheelhouse slides out of its slip. Almost silent it floats by its aged ancestor, dressed in green and white, now blurred in the morning mist. Not really enough to wear rain gear but enough to get you wet if you don’t.
O n the dock, three forklifts dash about in fast forward, making zigzags across the storage yard, loaded with stacks of those round wire cages called pots. Trucks — little trucks, big trucks, middle size trucks, cars too — line the docks piled with all sorts of gear and supplies. Oh, and rain gear, lots of rain gear. Over on the sport float, more pots, smaller here, appear as the morning mist/fog/rain lets up.
The Thanksgiving hustle and bustle here at the Port of Ilwaco is more than just holiday fun. This is serious. Dungeness crab season on the North Pacific is about to begin.
The Dungeness crab (Cancer Magister), which ranges from the central coast of California to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, is another of those species woven into fabric of West. The purple/red shell and spiny claws of this crab are recognized across the country as the crustacean of choice when taste counts. There are other crab species out there but the meat of this species is considered the sweetest and most flavorful. The name “Dungeness” is derived from the town of Dungeness in Puget Sound where the crabs were first fished commercially. The town is named for Dungeness Head on the west coast of England.
Wringing a good living
The Nedian, the blue boat with the white wheelhouse, belongs to Captain Ed Bittner, a thirty-year-plus commercial fishing veteran. At 64’ in length with a 20’ beam, the steel hulled craft is a medium large boat in the fleet which ranges from 32’ to over 100’. With his crewmen Jeremy Bravo and Joe Whiteman, Bittner and the “Nedian” (named for his two sons Ned and Ian) are good representatives of the crab fishers here on the coast; experienced seamen with the savvy and determination to wring a good living from the North Pacific.
Most boats are independent business ventures, many owned by their skippers, although some owners have more than one boat and some are financed by fish processors. Most skippers, like Bittner, started on the back deck, working for wages or a share of the catch, and most have borrowed heavily to own their own boats. Many boats are appraised at more than $1 million and just the permit alone can command upwards of $200,000 on the market.
Crab permits limited
Washington has 228 commercial coastal crab permits. Oregon has limited its permits to 450.There are no new permits. Washington, Oregon and California limited the permits in the 1990’s to protect the resource. If you want to become a crab skipper, you’ll have to buy an existing license. In Washington there is a two-tiered pot limit system, some permits are limited to 300 pots while others can run 500. Currently, Oregon has no pot limit. Like Captain Bittner, most boats fish other stocks and crab is just a portion — a big portion — of the catch. A few boats have both Oregon and Washington permits, so theoretically, they can deliver more product. A very few have permits from three states.
Catch a boatload
Since crab fishing is seasonal (more than half of the catch is made in the first 10 days of the season) Captain Bittner changes the configuration of his gear to fish shrimp, tuna and groundfish at other times of the year. His boat has a capacity catch of 16,000 pounds of crab at any one time, but the affable skipper said, “With that much there’s hardly room for us.”
In 1994 Judge Edward Rafeedie ruled to uphold the rights of native treaty tribes to 50% (the treaty actually states “a fair share”) of the resource within their usual and accustomed fishing grounds, so treaty tribes are a big part of the picture. And a big picture it is; in the last few years Washington non-tribal permits have averaged 60,000 pounds. which adds up to an average $150,000 gross, per boat. In 2006, Washington crabbers harvested more than 25 million pounds, but the average over 50 years has been about 10 million. In Oregon, Dungeness is the biggest dollar producing species. Oregon deliveries have been as high as 33 million pounds but also average around 10 million.
Thumbs up on crab!
The Dungeness crab industry is given a green light by virtually all environmental organizations as a sustainable fishery. With the current curbs on overfishing, Dungeness is projected to be a viable fishery in perpetuity.
Ocean recreational crabbing also opened December 1. Washington sport crab fishers land over 1million pounds of Dungeness per year. All sport crabbers in Washington 15 years and older must possess a current Washington fishing license. In Oregon, a special shellfish license is required. Regulations vary by zone and state, so it’s best to check with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/ before planning a trip.
Dungeness crab is a huge part of the economy of the Lower Columbia River. To most commercial harvesters, it represents over half their yearly catch. If the landings at Astoria, Warrenton, and Ilwaco are totaled, the Columbia River is by far the most productive crab port on the west coast. The dollar value of this marine “treasure trove” also makes it a huge political and economic football with many players, both in and outside government, all vying to exercise control.
Nothing to crab about
Both Oregon and Washington report that the Dungeness crab business adds more than $40 million to each economy every year. If you add all the businesses that supply goods and services to both sport and commercial crabbers, you could argue
t hat Dungeness contributes more than $100 million yearly to each state.
And, as my Aunt Chloe would say: “That ain’t chicken feed, Buster.”
Northwest native Ron Baldwin is a freelance write and sound technician. He lives in Chinook, WA.
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Many Reader readers have hiked the trails in the Columbia Gorge during the spring, summe r, or fall. But consider a hike to see some of the area’s refreshing waterfalls up close on a cold, clear day like we’ve had recently. Or how about a winter jaunt where you can stay inside your car while enjoying the natural wonders outside?
For those who are “allergic” to the cold and rain, there are several nice waterfalls in the Lower Columbia area that can be seen from the comfort of your car. Here’s a 60-mile trip, simply a loop from Rainier to Clatskanie (via the old highway), then on to Westport where you cross the Columbia River on the ferry, and then return to Longview via Stella.
From the bridge
Starting in Rainier, drive west 4.7 miles from the overpass where the Lewis and Clark Bridge meets Oregon Hwy 30. About a quarter mile after crossing Beaver Creek, veer off towards Delena. Today’s Beaver Falls Road was the original Columbia River Highway, built 95 years ago. This road has been closed off and on over the last four years to replace some old narrow concrete bridges. As of December, the road was open again, although some sections are still just a single lane, awaiting guardrail replacement.
After exiting Highway 30, drive 1.8 miles to a pullout at the left side of the road, offering a nice view of Upper Beaver Falls. During the summer months, the columnar basalt outcropping is obvious, but during the winter months the creek forms a 15-foot high cascade of water.
A Spectacular Sight
Continuing west another 1.7 miles, you will come to another pullout at the left side of the road (look for the opening in the chain-link fence). If you are up for a short off-road hike, there is an old dirt road that leads down to top of Lower Beaver Falls. The water drops 50 feet over the edge of the basalt lava flow into a large pool below. If you walk down to the viewpoint at the top of the falls, be careful, as the path is muddy and the viewpoint at the top of the falls has precarious footing. Not up for a walk in the mud (or willing to risk a fatal fall)? Drive on another quarter mile to the large pullout just past the end of the chain-link fence. Walk back about a tenth of a mile to get an awesome view of Lower Beaver Falls.
Lunchtime?
Continue another six miles, following the signs to Clatskanie. There are several good places to eat in Clatskanie (Dr. Munchie recommends Hump’s, Fultano’s, Conestoga or Ixtapa), or you can wait until arriving in Cathlamet (home of the River Rat Tap, which serves great French fries, Dr Munchie reports).
Go west on Highway 30 towards Astoria, turning right at Westport, to catch the ferry to Cathlamet. The toll ferry departs Westport 15 minutes past the hour, so plan your lunch stop based on the ferry schedule. It is 10 miles from Clatskanie to Westport; allow 20 minutes to get to the ferry… it doesn’t wait, so don’t be late.
Eyes left, don’t blink
Once across the Columbia, drive through picturesque Cathlamet and head east toward Longview. About a quarter mile east of Stella, on the left of a sweeping curve, you can see Horsetail Falls peeking through the trees, about 200 hundred feet north of the highway. During winter months, when the water is flowing fast and furious and the trees have lost their leaves, the falls are more visible than in the spring and summer months. Still, you can easily drive by without seeing the waterfall.
To really  appreciate this waterfall, you need to park your car and climb down the trail to the bottom of the falls. There is barely room for one car to park at the east end of the guardrail; another option would be to park at Stella and walk back. Use caution in either case.
Following his popular column "Dispatch from the Discovery Trail," Kelso resident and local history buff Michael Perry highlights sites and events significant in the Western expansion following Lewis and Clark's Expedition. He enjoys bicycling and collecting historical memorabilia.
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