"Going into this year we've hypothesized that this year will be even better than last year," says John Rorapaugh, the long-time sustainability director for ProFish in Ivy City. He says 2013, 2014, and 2015 were, by contrast, difficult years. The seafood wholesaler tracks how much blue crabs cost each month during crab season, which is officially from April 1 through Dec. 15. When crabs are scarce in the Chesapeake Bay, it drives up the price per bushel.
Furthermore, the wholesale price of blue crabs correlates with their quality. "The more expensive they are, the less quality they have, at least in the peak of the season," Rorapaugh says. "When they're abundant, they're usually the best."
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6 comments:
Another prediction.......prices will stay the same or go up at the crab houses.
Every year it is the same story. Too much rain or sun or wind or the moon too round. Prices will be the same as last year or higher.
Yeah it's good news, but, the two local crab eateries won't come down on prices....they are like the gasoline companies, once a baseline is established they won't let it come back down!!! The watermen will get the cheap pay.
$165 a half bushel right now and I don't have a snap card
Ok, folks! Here's how it plays out every year. First, they come out with this strong prediction so you get your recipe cards out for abundant low priced crabs.
Then, season opens, and the very next news flash is that the "numbers are down" as far as bushels harvested, keeping prices high.
Meanwhile, sales to canneries and the country's interior boom, as Illinois suddenly has blue crabs in every fish market.
Then, news "breaks" that catches are improving, come and buy, but den poor fishermens needs da money, so prices remain high. markets in Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, etc. remain packed and happy thanks to air cargo shipments.
Then the story hits us that Dermo or whatever crab disease has been found in some areas, again raising the prices.
Season is almost over, so come and get it folks! Last chance, we barely made it, but to thank you for your patronage, they're "on sale" for more than we were getting from Illinois... oops weren't sposed to say that out loud...
Same game, different year, Get it now?
11:32 same bull with oysters.
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