Price Dispute Means Slow Start For Dungeness Crab Season

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Tuesday's start of the California Dungeness crab season appeared to be in jeopardy, considering buyers and crabbers had - as of Monday morning - not reached an agreement on pricing.

"No, we can't throw the traps until we have an agreement with the buyers," summed up Larry Collins, president of the Crab Boat Owners Association, adding that bargaining would take place Monday - the day that was supposed to be the start of the Cungeness crab fishing season.

Collins said it's hard to say how far apart the two sides are.

"We just take it a day at a time. And, whenever we get a price they're comfortable with and we're comfortable with, we'll go throw the traps," he said.

KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:

According to Collins, the price operators earned for last season's crab was $1.75 per pound, though that was a record price.

"There's going to be fewer crabs - I think - than last year, so we're going to need to get paid a little bit more," Collins maintained.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)