Lawmakers Jared Huffman, Jackie Speier push to aid struggling crabbers

Coastal California Reps. Jared Huffman and Jackie Speier on Thursday introduced disaster relief legislation that they hope will deliver more than $130 million to the region’s sidelined crabbers and other business owners who have suffered economically from the extended and unprecedented closures of this year’s Dungeness and rock crab fisheries.

The Crab Disaster Relief Bill of 2016 seeks $138.15 million, including $1 million for sampling and monitoring of domoic acid off the West Coast and $5 million for competitive grants to fund research on the algal blooms that produce the dangerous neurotoxin.

But mostly, the bill would seek direct assistance for devastated fishing communities like Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg, some of whose members are at risk of losing their boats and even their homes.

“This commercial fishery disaster, caused by persistent high levels of a toxin in the crabs and the environment, is not the fault of crab fishermen or the coastal communities in which they live,” said Huffman, D-San Rafael. “These hardworking fishermen shouldn’t have to suffer after working tirelessly to sustain this crab fishery, which is so vital to our local economy.”

California’s lucrative commercial Dungeness crab season, which was to have opened Nov. 15, was put on hold after a persistent and widespread harmful algal bloom off the entire West Coast failed to clear up, leaving crab with domoic acid above federally accepted levels. The sport crabbing season also was canceled, though it has since opened south of Point Arena.

Southern California’s thriving year-round rock crab fishery also was closed, though it has since mostly reopened.

But because of a few stubborn areas where occasional test samples are still coming in with slightly elevated levels, the commercial Dungeness crab season remains closed.

The toxin isn’t harmful to the crabs, which eventually will metabolize it.

The annual catch has recently been valued above $60 million a year, with record landings in 2011-12 worth $95.5 million.

Following protocol outlined for federal fishery disasters, California Gov. Jerry Brown on Feb. 9 requested that U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker declare a crab disaster, which would quality those impacted for grants and other disaster relief, dependent on a congressional appropriation.

Though no action has yet been taken by the Department of Commerce, Huffman said he and Speier want to “ensure we are doing all we can to take care of these fishing industry small business owners and workers who are already facing devastated Northern California salmon runs.”?California Sen. Barbara Boxer has sponsored an identical companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

Any disaster relief would still be contingent a fishery disaster declaration, Huffman’s office said.

Speier, D-Hillsborough, said the state’s crabbers “deserve support, and our bill is designed to help them stay in business.”?“Even if the season is opened now, the economic damage has been done in the last four months,” she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.