Taking the temperature of crabbing season
Nathan and Colleen Kabler had just come into Noyo Harbor onboard the Myra Jean to offload their latest catch of crab Tuesday morning. This year’s crab season began late, and so far, the season isn’t as promising as last year’s.
Word had spread that the season may be short due to low biomass in the catch. The Myra Jean’s owner could see a full season ahead although fisherman Nathan Kabler reports that his catch is definitely down 30 to 40 percent. As the crew iced down the crab catch in the hold, he had a little time to talk about how the season looks.
He goes out every couple of days to check his traps, which are limited to two crabs each. Out on the ocean, regardless of wind and weather at that time, they haul in what they can and reset the traps. It’s dangerous work, and he can only hope that a good price will be the payoff.
He also fishes for black cod after crab season ends, but he can’t make ends meet
for his family just on fishing. Right now, he’s not getting in as much as he would like.
He and his wife, Colleen, live in Anderson Valley, and Nathan works a second job as a vineyard manager. Colleen cares for aging relatives and the family’s property. She added that they’re putting two boys through college.
With these commitments, they can’t take the boat up to Alaska for an extended fishing trip. Noyo Harbor is their home base and where they have an older boat docked. Colleen is happy with the fair prices the fisheries here offer. After they’re paid, the profit margin will rise for distributors selling to restaurants and stores.
Colleen agrees that fishing is like farming. The risks are high, and you have to love the job to want to do it.
Nathan said, “It’s 50-50. I do it half for the money and half for the love of it.”
There are always worries about weather, equipment, repairs, crews, buyers, market prices and definitely climate change. Nathan said that the bull kelp, which used to drag his traps away, has almost disappeared in some places.
“The ocean as a food source,” he said, “seems to have a seven-year cycle, and last year was a high point. We’re on the downturn now. The question is, how far down will this cycle go?”