SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
San Francisco Bay area consumers may pay a bit more this year for fresh, local Dungeness crab as fishermen say they are expecting a modest catch.
The commercial season is set to open on Thursday, and both fishermen and buyers said they hope to avoid a price dispute that would delay the season, The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/UANfvG ).
Last year a stalemate over price delayed the commercial season until after Thanksgiving, leaving many tables without the pile of fresh crab that has become a local tradition.
Recreational fishermen who have been laying pots near the Farallon Islands since Nov. 3 have been reporting a modest, medium-sized catch this year.
Crabbers say they want $3 per pound this year, but buyers say they think $2.50 is fair.
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