Crab Price Dispute Comes to a Close

The price was settled: $3 a pound

A dispute over crab prices that has stifled the harvesting and sale of Dungeness Crab for more than a week has come to a close.

On Tuesday afternoon, wholesalers and crab fishermen came to an agreement about selling crab at $3 a pound.  The deal means boats will be back out  in the morning.

The deal stretches to crab fishermen in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and San Francisco. Wholesalers have reportedly wanted to offer as low as $2.50 a pound, but after an afternoon meeting, the price was upped by 50 cents.

Angela Cincotta, a wholesaler with Alioto-Lazio Fish Company, had earlier expressed her irritation over the standoff with NBC Bay Area Monday. The fishermen had been on strike for seven days, and crab were nowhere to be found.

It’s a standoff that has crimped sales for all parties, halting activity for the crab fishermen, draining the tanks at Cincotta’s wholesale garage and forcing retailers to raise prices on largely frozen crab.

Larry Collins, president of the Crab Boat Owners Association, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday and declined several interview requests Monday.

Cincotta and fishermen both acknowledge price fluctuations are typical during the season.


 

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