As\nI was getting ready to write this blog entry, I decided to look back at some of\nmy old posts to see what I\u2019ve covered so far. I’ve written about the Dungeness\ncrab management system, current issues facing the fishery, and the commercial\nfishery season opening process. On multiple occasions, I have emphasized the ecological\nand economic importance of crab, and the complexities of West Coast crab\nmanagement. But I realized that my previous posts do nothing to highlight some\nof the aspects of Dungeness crab that I find the most important and\ninteresting, the long history of cultural and social significance of this\ncrustacean in Oregon and along the West Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my last post<\/a>, I wrote that \u201cEvery December, palpable excitement fills the Oregon coast as residents anticipate the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season. To many on the coast, Dungeness crab is at the center of holiday and family celebrations at this time of year.\u201d In fact, this excitement continues well beyond the start of the season and throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visitors\nto the coast will quickly realize that the seafood industry and working waterfronts\nare an integral part of Oregon coastal communities that serve to sustain local\ncultural heritage and connect the community to the environment (Kellner, 2009). The crab industry, in particular,\nis on display in many Oregon port cities contributing to the popularity of\nthese locations for tourists that are looking for an authentic glimpse at the\nhistory and character of the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ncritical symbolic importance of Dungeness crab to coastal tribes, fishers,\nconsumers, and environmentalists can be seen through the diversity of social\nand cultural activities that center on the species. For many, recreational\ncrabbing is considered a must-do activity that features heavily in Oregon\ntravel guides, tour packages, and has even been described in several how-to\nguidebooks dedicated solely to the sport. Additionally, all along the coast and\nthroughout much of Oregon, crab is featured heavily at seafood festivals, crab\nfeeds, and other community events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While digging into the history of Oregon coast crab feeds and festivals, one of my favorite pieces of Newport history that I found was a collection of photos from the Lincoln County Historical Society\u2019s archive<\/a> of the Newport Crab Festival which first took place in 1938. In its day, this festival would draw 25,000 visitors to Newport for a free crab lunch and other festivities including a festival court, parade, and prizes (Russell, 2013). This event, the precursor to the present-day Newport Seafood & Wine Festival, is an example of the long history of coupling the abundance of crab on the coast with a desire for community support and coastal tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\niconic status of Dungeness crab which has been known to many throughout\nhistory, was formally recognized on June 19, 2009 when Dungeness crab joined\nthe Chinook salmon, Douglas fir, and American beaver as a state symbol of\nOregon. With the strong support of fourth graders from Sunset Primary School in\nWest Linn, House Joint Resolution 37 was passed designating Dungeness crab as\nthe official crustacean of the State of Oregon (Oregon\nLegislative Assembly, 2009). Among other factors, the\nresolution recognizes the economic value, symbolic importance, sustainable\nmanagement, and overall deliciousness of Dungeness crab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s\nexciting getting to live in a community that is so closely tied to Dungeness\ncrab, while working to address some of the issues that are critical for the\nfishery. In my next post, I will dive deeper into the whale entanglement issue\nand the steps being taken in Oregon and along the West Coast to address this\nchallenge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Keller,\nA. A., Simon, V., Chan, F., Wakefield, W. W., Clarke, M. E., Barth, J. A.\nKamikawa, D. et al<\/em>. 2010. Demersal\nfish and invertebrate biomass in relation to an offshore hypoxic zone along the\nUS West Coast. Fisheries Oceanography, 19(1): 76\u201387.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oregon\nLegislative Assembly. 2009. 75th<\/sup> Oregon Legislative Assembly 2009\nsummary of legislation. Legislative Administration Committee Services, 214 pp.\nAvailable at https:\/\/www.oregonlegislature.gov\/lpro\/summleg\/2009SummaryOfLegislation.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Russell,\nV. 2013. A looking back at the Newport Crab Festival 1949. Coast Explorer\nMagazine. Available at https:\/\/www.coastexplorermagazine.com\/features\/looking-back-newport-crab-festival-1949<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I was getting ready to write this blog entry, I decided to look back at some of my old posts to see what I\u2019ve covered so far. I’ve written about the Dungeness crab management system, current issues facing the … Continue reading