Free Republic

Six people went out on a crabbing boat Saturday that did not return, officials say The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for four missing boaters Sunday near Bodega Bay, the federal agency said Sunday evening. Ginger Conejero Saab reports. The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for four missing boaters Sunday near Bodega Bay, the federal agency said Sunday evening. Officials say that there were six people in total on the boat, but so far four of those individuals have not been located. One person died and a boy was found alive but in need of medical...

Those hoping to snag a Dungeness crab for their Thanksgiving table may find them in short supply this year, after the commercial crabbing season was delayed again in parts of California over concerns for the endangered humpback whales that share their waters... ...“We’ve gone from a seven-month-long crab season to one that is going to be three months, at best,” Ben Platt, the president of the California Coast Crab Association told the New York Times. Meanwhile, environmental advocates have called for stronger regulations to be enforced statewide and urged the crabbing industry to transition to ropeless gear....

This is the time of year Californians look forward to if fans of decadent crab meat. The start of the Dungeness season could be in jeopardy, however, as this California Department of Fish and Wildlife report suggests: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory warning individuals to avoid eating rock and Dungeness crab due to the detection of high levels of domoic acid. The advisory was followed by a recommendation from the Office of Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to the California Fish and Game Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to delay...

USCG Says Back-Draft Doomed Vessel Associated Press June 10, 2005 ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A back-draft explosion during a fire doomed a 180-foot fishing vessel before it sank in 2002 in the Bering Sea, the Coast Guard has concluded. Three men died in the incident on the Galaxy fishing boat. Two days later, a fourth was swept off a Good Samaritan vessel as it searched for survivors in the icy waters. The Galaxy was carrying a crew of 25 and an observer from the National Marine Fisheries Service when a fire broke out in the engine room. The cause of the...