Those plans you had for a holiday-themed crab boil this weekend are not looking good. Earlier this week local crab fisherman caught word that the cheapskate fishmongers were planning to drop the price they pay for fresh crustaceans from the previously agreed-upon $3 per pound to a shrimpy $1.80, setting off a strike at docks from Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay.
The reason for the price cut, the Chronicle reports, was a sharp drop in demand following the early season Thanksgiving rush. With their tanks full of crab, the wholesale fish companies and retailers stopped buying and started mulling the price drop. Those rainstorms last week also didn't help the crab guys' mood either, when 15-foot swells and 40 mph winds kept their boats at the docks.
But the crab boaters would rather lose a couple days of fishing than take a paycut, so none of the commercial boats (most of which are owned by the fisherman themselves) have gone out since Tuesday. With nothing coming in and holiday orders still going out, everyone from Alioto-Lazio to Mollie Stone's to Whole Foods is seeing a run on the sweet, delicious crabmeat.
Thankfully, President of the Crab Boat Owner's Association Larry Collings doesn't think the dispute will last more than a few days. (And heaven help anyone who denies a Whole Foods customer their featured dinner party dish.) More good news: If you haven't gotten a taste of this year's catch yet, they might be even tastier despite the short supply. As Collins explained, "there's not a lot of them, but they are really good."
