Hundreds of crab boats tied up in West Coast strike

SEATTLE (AP) – Dungeness crab could be harder to come by if hundreds of fishing boats remain tied up at docks from California to Washington state amid a dispute between crabbers and seafood processors over the price of the sought-after crustaceans.

The commercial Dungeness crab season along the West Coast opened in waves this year, with crabbers initially getting $3 a pound.

Ken Bates, vice president with the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association, says one of the largest seafood processors dropped the price to $2.75 a pound to local fishermen just before Christmas.

He said Dungeness prices could go lower in following seasons if that lower price holds.