Dungeness Crab

Common Name:

Dungeness Crab

Scientific Name:

Metacarcinus magister

Market Name(s):

Market crab, San Francisco crab

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Sourcing Summary

1.5-3 lbs.

Dungeness crab is available fresh and frozen as whole cooks, sections, clusters, and picked meat, as well as live. Buyers say the best times to purchase are in December and January when landings are high, but prices can fluctuate dramatically due to Pacific storms. Buyers caution that in some years crab processed in early December will have lower meat yields because they haven’t filled out after molting and as such crab landed in January tend to have higher meat yields. Most of the crab meat marketed as fresh from March through November is meat picked from frozen crab sections put up in December and January. Live suppliers usually allow for 5% dead loss, which should be taken into account when determining the price. When buying live crabs make sure they are active and responsive; fresh crabs should be clean and moist with parts intact, a bright orange-red shell, and no unpleasant smell. Ideally combo meat packs will have 55% leg and claw meat, although buyers say that 50% is more common. Whole crab are graded 1.5-2lbs., 2-2.5lbs., 2.5-3lbs., and 3 ups.

Harvest Methods

Wild

Pot/Trap

Product Forms

Fresh

  • Clusters
  • Live
  • Meat
  • Sections
  • Whole Cooked

Frozen

  • Clusters
  • Meat
  • Sections
  • Whole Cooked
Fresh Seasonal Availability
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Culinary Composition

Flavor

Mild
Sweet
Strong

Texture

Delicate
Medium
Firm

Oil

Low
Medium
High

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 100 Grams
Amount per serving
  • Calories
    86.00
  • Total Fat
    1.00
    g
  • Cholesterol
    59.00
    mg
  • Sodium
    295.00
    mg
  • Carbohydrates
    0.00
    g
  • Protein
    17.00
    g
  • Omega-3
    240.00
    mg

Recommended Servings per Month

  • Men
    4+
  • Women
    4+
  • Kids 6-12
    4+
  • Kids 0-5
    4+

Cooking Methods

Advisory Concern

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Biology

Dungeness crab can live 10+ years with females reaching sexual maturity at 2 years and males at 3 years. Female crabs molt between May and August and mating occurs immediately after this molting period. The molting period is later in the season the farther north the crab are found. Mating usually occurs in inshore waters and females move to deeper waters to hatch eggs in late winter.

Dungeness crab is a decapod and consumes bivalves, crustaceans, marine worms, and fish. Predators of the Dungeness crab include octopus, halibut, dogfish, sculpins, rockfish, and birds. Male Dungeness crab reach minimum harvest size around age 4. Adult crab can reach a width of 10" (although 7" is more common), are reddish-brown in color, with short, thick legs. 

Species Habitat

Dungness crab range from Point Conception, California to the Eastern Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The crab prefer a sandy substrate, but are also found on mud and gravel. Dungeness crab are often buried just below the sand or in vegetation such as eelgrass beds. Dungness crab are found at depths from the intertidal range to 230m deep (but usually <90m). 

Science & Management:
  • Wild
    Science: 

    Currently, Alaska does not have stock assessments for Dungeness crab and there is unknown if stocks that are fished are genetically distinct from stocks that are not fished. Some data is collected via fish ticket reporting and dockside sampling, although the sampling is not comprehensive. Stock assessments for Dungeness crab on the U.S. West Coast are not conducted and annual landings are used as a proxy for stock abundance. Shell hardness tests are done in the pre-season, and there is data collection from logbooks in Washington. British Columbia has limited stock assessments (twice a year in 2 of the 7 fishing areas) from pot surveys. Data collection is also achieved through electronic monitoring, harvest logs, and biological sampling. Annual fluctuations have been identified in British Columbia and attributed to environmental conditions. While landings information helps inform populations of males, since only males are harvested, there is an absence of information regarding females and population size structure.  

    Management: 

    Dungeness crab are fished using circular baited pots that are 3-4' wide and weigh 60-80 pounds. Most crab are caught in depths of 30-300 feet. In the U.S., Dungeness crab are managed at the state level. U.S. states use a “3-S strategy” – size, sex, and season. In Alaska, management of fishery openings and closures vary by regions within the state. Because some regions can be open to fishing during molting season there are concerns about removal of males before mating season and concerns of possible impacts on long-term sustainability. Alaska maintains regional closures where stocks have collapsed. California and Washington are limited entry fisheries with pot limits and gear requirements for size and escape mechanisms. Dungeness crab in British Columbia are managed at the national level and several management measures are used including size, sex, and hardness restrictions. There are also regulations on licensing, gear requirements, and soak times. British Columbia will also implement in-season closures when observations of soft shells is identified. 

Wild

Impact on Stock

Dungeness crab are found throughout the Northeast Pacific in Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia, and Alaska. Dungeness crab have low inherent vulnerability to fishing pressure due to characteristics like high fecundity and a relatively short lifespan, according to Seafood Watch. Their abundance fluctuates cyclically, likely due to environmental conditions. Their stock abundance is uncertain, Seafood Watch reported. British Columbia has a regionally limited stock assessment for the crab, and the U.S. lacks a formal independent stock assessment program. Despite that, data from landings appear to show that the stocks are not overfished.

Habitat Impacts

Dungeness crab are usually caught in steel traps called pots that have built-in exits to allow undersized crabs to escape. They also have biodegradable webs to prevent ghost fishing should the pot get lost. The gear to catch Dungeness crab is intended to sit in place on sand and mud habitats so impacts on the seafloor are minimal. 

Bycatch

The pots used in the Dungeness crab fisheries allow fishermen to release unintended bycatch easily, usually without harming them. Gear interactions between humpback and gray whales have been known in some California, Oregon and Washington fisheries, Seafood Watch noted. While those entanglements are rare, endangered species can only withstand minimal mortalities from fishing activities, the 2015 report cautioned.

Management Effectiveness

Dungeness crab are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in British Columbia. In the United States, they are managed by the California and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Management measures include a permitting system, limits on pots and the target of legal sized males. There are also harvest closures during peak molting. Seafood Watch called the harvest strategy management moderately effective for British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. However, a 2015 report noted that management improvements are needed in Alaska to help some depleted Dungeness crab populations recover.

Farmed
Origin Harvest Method Sustainability Ratings FIP Source
Canada - British Columbia Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
Unassessed Origin Unassessed Fishing Methods
Seafood Watch- Unrated
Ocean Wise- Unrated
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
USA - Alaska Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
USA - California Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
USA - Oregon Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
USA - Oregon (FIP) Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
Fishery Improvement Project (FIP)
FIP product
USA - Washington Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Good Alternative
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
Name Country State/Province
Allseas Fisheries Corp. Canada Ontario
Aqua Star United States Washington
Barlean's Fishery, Inc. United States Washington
Blundell Seafoods Canada British Columbia
Bornstein Seafoods Inc. United States Oregon
Calkins & Burke Canada British Columbia
Canadian Fishing Company Canada British Columbia
Caruso's United States California
Caudle's Catch Seafood Canada Ontario
Central Coast Seafood United States California
City Fish Canada Alberta
Coal Point Seafood Company United States Alaska
Codfathers Seafood Market Canada British Columbia
Community Supported Fishery United States Oregon
Da Yang Seafood, Inc. United States Oregon
Dana F. Besecker Company United States Washington
Diamond Head Seafood Wholesale, Inc. United States Hawaii
Empire Fish Company United States Wisconsin
En Gros Pierre Canada Quebec
FishPeople Seafood United States Oregon
Flying Fish Company United States Oregon
Foods In Season United States Washington
Fortune Fish & Gourmet United States, United States, United States, United States, United States, United States Illinois
FreshCatch United States California
Hallmark Fisheries, Inc. United States Oregon
Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood Canada British Columbia
John Nagle Co. United States Massachusetts
Keyport LLC United States Washington
Lions Gate Fisheries, Ltd. Canada British Columbia
Lusamerica Foods United States, United States, United States California
Macgregors Meat & Seafood Ltd. Canada Ontario
Marinelli Shellfish Co. United States Washington
Marx Foods United States Washington
McRoberts Sales Co., Inc. United States, United States Florida
Mikuni Wild Harvest United States Washington
Monterey Fish Market United States California
Morning Star Fisheries LLC United States California
Nelson Crab, Inc. United States Washington
Norpac Fisheries Export United States Hawaii
Northeast Oceans United States Massachusetts
Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. United States Colorado
Northern Lakes Seafood & Meats United States Michigan
Northwest Fresh Seafood Company United States Oregon
NOVA Fisheries / SunWave Processors United States Washington
Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC United States Washington
OM Seafood Company United States Oregon
Orca Bay Seafoods, Inc. United States Washington
Oregon Seafoods United States Oregon
Organic Ocean Seafood Inc. Canada British Columbia
Pacific Dream Seafoods United States Washington
Pacific Harvest Seafood, Inc. United States Washington
Pacific Harvest Seafoods United States California
Pacific Seafood Group, Inc. United States Oregon
Palomino Foods, Inc. United States Washington
Pike Place Fish Market United States Washington
Port Orford Sustainable Seafood United States Oregon
Premier Catch United States Washington
Profish Ltd. United States District of Columbia
Real Good Fish United States California
Robbie's Ocean Fresh Seafood, Inc. United States California
Royal Hawaiian Seafood United States California
Santa Monica Seafood, Inc. United States California
Sea Forager Seafood United States California
Sea to Table, USA United States New York
Seacore Seafood Canada Ontario
Seafood4life Products Inc. Canada British Columbia
Seattle Fish Co United States Colorado
Seattle Fish Company - Kansas City United States Missouri
Seattle Fish Company of New Mexico United States New Mexico
Siren Fish Co. United States California
Smokey Bay Seafood Group Canada, Canada, United States British Columbia
Star Fisheries Inc. United States California
Stikine Seafoods United States Alaska
The Alaska Guys Singapore
The Fish Guys Inc. United States Minnesota
The Fishin' Company United States Pennsylvania
The Lobster Man Canada British Columbia
Tradex Foods Inc. Canada British Columbia
Tri-Star Seafood Supply Ltd. Canada British Columbia
Trident Seafoods Corp. United States Washington
Vital Choice Seafood United States Washington
Wild Local Seafood Co. United States California
Wild Planet Foods, Inc. United States California
WildCatch Seafood Products LLC United States Washington

Acknowledgements

  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • Marine Stewardship Council
  • NOAA Fisheries
  • Seafood Watch Program
  • SeafoodSource
Last Updated: 8/7/2020