Oregon Coast Waves - 1.6 January 2021

OC
W A V E S
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE OREGON COAST
VOL 1.6
JANUARY 2021

PHOTO BY: JEREMY BURKE

OC
W A V E S
Publisher
Jeremy Burke
Editor
Steve Card
Advertising Sales
Teresa Barnes
Kathy Wyatt
Natalie Lane
Krystal O’Donnell
Contributing Writers
News-Times Staff
Kenneth Lipp
Michael Heinbach
Katie Wiley
Photographers
Jeremy Burke
Casey Felton
About the Cover Shot
I have been looking for a good angle for the
Yaquina Bay Bridge for a long time. During
a previous feature I found this spot and it is
by far my favorite. This shot also inspired me
to share the rest of the photo that is often
hidden due to the constraints of the cover.
Check out the centerfold (26-27) for the full
version Photo by Jeremy Burke
P.7
New bakery in Toledo with a
unique background
P.22
New owners for the Toledo
Restaurant Timbers
P.12
Oregon Coast Gift Guide -
shop locally in 2021
P.28
Carter’s Cookies
oregoncoastwaves.com
Facebook
@OregonCoastWaves
Instagram
@oregoncoastwaves
P.30
Social media superstar
shows us his ride
P.36
Ago Tattoo & Peircing
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without
the written permission from this publisher.
Photographs, graphics, and artwork are
the property of Newport Newspapers LLC
©2021 and J.burkephotos ©2021
Oregon Coast Waves 2021
A News-Times Publication
831 NE Avery Newport Or 97365
P.40
Stabi Dave’s offering one
stop shop to anglers
P.50
Dream Home of the Month

contents
P.44
After a long bout’ with pricing crab season is now officially started
5

Photo by
Luke Whittaker
N Y E
Historic
B
E A
C H
Located just a few short blocks off Highway 101,
the “European walking neighborhood” of Historic Nye beach is a
perfect spot to enjoy easy access to miles of perfect beaches
and offers the visitors lots of …
Beachcombing
Bike Riding/Rental
Beach Walking
Kite Flying
Surfing
Sail-boarding
Tide Pooling
Photography
Galleries
Jewelry
Visual Arts
Apparel
Lodging
Spa – Massage
Cafés & Fine Dining
Hours of Family Fun
Unique
Retail Shops
Professional
Services
Fine Gifts and
Home Decor
World Class
Performing Arts
Sweets - Ice Cream
- Chocolates
For more information: www.NyeBeach.org

FROM THE ARMED FORCES
TO CULINARY DELIGHTS
PHOTO BY: JEREMY BURKE

TOLEDO’S BUTTER & LACE BAKERY POISED FOR SUCCESS
he official grand opening celebration for Toledo’s
newest culinary sensation wasn’t scheduled until
mid January. But it’s easy to see why Butter &
Lace Bakery has already established a strong reputation after
opening its doors just a few months ago.
In late September, on the 10th anniversary of completing her
career in the U.S. Navy, Sarah Bays saw her dream of more
than 20 years to own and operate her own commercial bakery
come to fruition. Butter & Lace opened its doors at 328 W.
NE Highway 20 to the Toledo community Oct. 26, and has
happily served local customers and visitors to the area since.
“I think I’ve been planning this forever,” she said. “I’ve always
wanted to do this.”
For six years, Bays, a Midland, Texas native, was an electronics
technician in the Navy, but during the same period she
discovered a passion for baking. Following and honorable
discharge from the Navy, Bay earned a bachelor’s degree in
hospitality administration and management from the Art
Institutes of America in San Diego and a Mater’s of Business
Administration from Argosy University in Hawaii.
Following her stint in the Navy, Bays bounced around a good
portion of North America, taking jobs in bakeries and working
in electronics from Los Angeles to Maryland to Hawaii and
even a short time in Canada. But after taking a job from 2018-
19 at NOAA in Newport, Bays focused in on her dream of
owning her own bakery, leading her to open Butter & Lace
during what most would imagine is extremely difficult time to
launch a small business.
“I feel like the pandemic gave us a chance to start off slowly,
and be able to grow,” Bays said recently. “I didn’t take out a
loan or anything for this place, so it’s all in-house money that
we’re making and putting back into the business, so it’s been
really nice to just go slow. It gave us chance to learn what we
wanted to do.”
Butter & Lace Bakery serves customers from 6 a.m. to 2
p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on
weekends. Customer favorites thus far include Butter & Lace’s
kolaches — introduced by Czech immigrants to America in the
1870s. Kolaches served at Butter & Lace are meat and cheesestuffed
or fruit-filled pastries made from a brioche dough.
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HEINBACH | PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE

Butter & Lace is paradise for those with a sweet tooth. Maplebacon
muffins, cinnamon rolls, cranberry-orange-almond
scones, and cupcakes, so many delectable varieties of cupcakes,
keep Bays, fellow baker Kayley Glassen, and server Jenny Wood
very busy keeping smiles on the faces of their customers.
Bays says the bakery regularly goes through about 50 pounds
of flour each week and somewhere in the neighborhood of 30
pounds of butter weekly. On a regular business day, Bays and
Glassen arrive at 3 a.m., and do of the baking before doors
open at 6 a.m. Bays continues baking cookies and pastries
throughout much of the business day.
Bays says she takes a little extra pride in starting a business
on her own at the age of 35, but rarely has time to bask in the
satisfaction of what she’s created.
“I’m proud, but realistically at the same time, I don’t have a lot
of time to think about how proud of this I am,” she said. “I’m
proud, excited and happy to be here.”
Bays gushed when asked about the community around her,
and the generous support Butter & Lace has received since
joining the downtown Toledo landscape.
“I came here and I didn’t know anybody,” she said. “I was
moving back here from my NOAA job, but the people here
just kind of adopted me and I just became family. That’s always
really comforting. The owners of the businesses here have been
really supportive and kind of helped me move along. I couldn’t
be more grateful for that support.”

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THE OREGON COAST GIFT GUIDE
LOCAL
GIFT IDEAS
Valentine’s Day
MOSSY CREEK POTTERY
ALL PHOTOS BY
JEREMY BURKE

STYX, STONES N’ BONES
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DIAMONDS BY THE SEA
STYX, STONES N’ BONES
STYX, STONES N’ BONES
OSSIES SURF SHOP
SHRIMP DADDY’S BAIT & TACKLE SHACK
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GIFT GUIDE INDEX
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160 W 2nd St., Yachats, OR
(541) 653-3548
STYX, STONES N’ BONES
MOSSY CREEK POTTERY
483 S Immonen Rd, Lincoln City, OR
(541) 996-2415
FEED CORRAL
634 Oregon Coast Hwy, Newport, OR
(541) 265-8299
GRUMBLEFISH MUSIC
1845 SW Hwy 101 Unit 4, Lincoln City, OR
(541) 614-0931
SJ CUSTOM JEWELERS
316 NW Coast St, Newport
541- 272-5300
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342 SW Bay Blvd, Newport
(541) 272-9896
PIRATES PLUNDER
3145 Ferry Slip Road
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(541) 867-6000
SHRIMP DADDY’S BAIT & TACKLE SHACK
385 NE Spencer St, Waldport, OR 97394
(541) 563-5682

JANUARY
FEATURED
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LITTLE CHIEF RESTAURANT
210 N Gaither St, Siletz, OR 97380
(541) 444-2626
SILETZ ROAD HOUSE
267 N Gaither St, Siletz, OR 97380
(541) 444-7012
PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE
21

22
NEW OWNERSHIP, SAME
HOMETOWN FEEL

TIMBERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE CONTINUES RICH TRADITION
t’s no big secret among locals that for almost 40 years,
the place to gather with friends and family over a homestyle
meal, enjoy an adult beverage and take in a uniquely
Toledo experience is Timbers Restaurant & Lounge.
Timbers, a staple of this tight-knit community located at 181
S Main St., is now under new ownership. But new Timbers
owners Emilee and Charlie Cyphert promise they’re providing
customers the same great food and excellent customer service
that regulars keep coming back for.
“We really respect the name that Timbers has made for itself
throughout the years,” Emilee told the News-Times recently.
“I guess we really wanted to keep that old feeling the place has
always had, but we also wanted to bring in a little of our style,
too.”
She said the transition into a new ownership group was eased
by Timbers’ regular customers, who’ve quickly endeared
themselves to the Cypherts.
“We definitely could not have done this without our
customers,” Emilee said. “The already established clientele has
been really supportive and welcomed us with open arms. And
it’s pretty amazing just how quickly most of them have become
just like family to us already.”
The Cypherts began floating the idea of purchasing Timbers
from then-owner Dick Wood in October 2019. At the time,
Charlie was director of sales for Depoe Bay Brewing Co., and
he made usual deliveries to Timbers. But Emilee said he’d
always dreamt of expanding the family’s horizons.
They agreed to buy the business in January and had scheduled
a meeting with attorneys and the previous owner to finalize the
transaction in mid March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic
began to change life as we knew it.
“So, we tabled the sale, and they kept ownership while we were
getting to know everybody and learning the ropes,” Emilee
said. “But after six months went by, the temporary permits
with the city were beginning to come to an end, so it was now
or never.”
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HEINBACH | PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE
23

The Cypherts took ownership of Timbers on Sept. 1, with
Charlie jumping in feet first and running the business full
time from day one, and Emilee recently joining the full-time
ranks following a 17-yard career with the Lincoln County
Juvenile Department. And though the owners are new, the
Timbers hasn’t lost the feel that earned the business its solid
reputation.
“We’re going to add some new items, like some more specialty
burgers and wraps, and we’re making a few cosmetic changes,”
Emilee said. “But what we want to do is keep our focus on
family, friends and industry. That’s our slogan: family, friends
and industry.”
Current Timbers’ favorites aren’t disappearing from the menu
anytime soon. Some of the classics that keep Timbers’ regular
customers coming back for more include its 1/3-pound bacon
cheeseburger, the ever-popular chicken-fried steak breakfast
and its gargantuan chef’s salad. Folks looking for all-American
tastes can also enjoy other traditional favorites, such as the
BLT and French dip sandwiches.
Dinner entrees include seafood specialties, such as deep-fried
prawns and fish and chips. Or go ahead and dive into a friedchicken
dinner, grilled pork chops or a 10-ounce flat iron steak.
And despite statewide pandemic guidelines that have limited
Timbers’ hours of business to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days
a week for take-out orders and curbside pickup only, the
Cypherts plan on maintaining the same great offerings and
customer service Timbers built its reputation upon.
Find Timbers’ Facebook page, which features the restaurant’s
complete menu, or call the business at 541-336-3272 to place
an order.
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THE KITCHEN WILD
t’s a new year, some of us are
back to work, back to school and
back to eating with a little more
purpose.
From the start of hunting season
through the holiday season, my snacking
spiraled out of control. It started with
the occasional snack here and there and
eventually led to large meals followed by
more snacking and decedent desserts.
But starting this week, I’m officially
breaking that cycle of overindulging on
high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, and I
couldn’t be more excited about getting
back on track and feeling like my best
self again!
Knowing what’s in our food and where
it comes from is always a great place to
start when eating with purpose, and
there’s no better lean, nutrient-dense
protein to start with than our very own
Dungeness crab. Newport is after all,
“The Dungeness Crab Capital of the
World,” and with crabbing season in full
swing, there’s no reason to not take full
advantage of that beautiful crab meat
that’s rich in vitamins and minerals,
high in protein, low in fat and contains
Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids.
Crab is one of the best possible dietary
sources of protein available, so how
lucky are we that we’re right here on
the central Oregon coast where it’s so
abundant.
So to kick off eating with a purpose,
here’s a low carb recipe that’s just as
high in protein as it is flavor!
OVERSTUFFED DUNGENESS
CRAB MUSHROOMS
INGREDIENTS:
One dozen medium sized
Cremini mushrooms
2 cups lump crab meat, plus 1/4 cup for
topping mushrooms after baking
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chives
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Photos and Story By Katie Wiley
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp
paper towel to clean. Remove the stems.
Arrange the mushrooms on a baking
sheet.
In a separate bowl, add softened cream
cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese,
garlic, Worcestershire, crushed red
pepper flakes and chives, and mix until
combined. Gently fold in 2 cups crab
meat.
Spoon Dungeness crab mixture into
mushrooms, stuffing generously
Bake for 20 minutes or until top is
golden and bubbly.
Top baked mushrooms with chives and
remaining crab meat. Enjoy!
25

PHOTO BY JEREMY BURKE - @J.BURKEPHOTOS ©2021
Newport
OREGON

Carter’s Chocolate Chip Cookies shown here on a
cutting board that Carter made in the shape of a
surf board. Photo by Jeremy Burke

CARTER’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
hen Carter McEntee was in middle school he
would bake these large and delicious chocolate
chip cookies some nights in his mother’s
industrial kitchen at Nye Beach Market.
The next mornings he would bring these cookies to school and
sell them for top dollar out of his locker during passing periods
while his buddy would sell Otter Pops out of his own locker.
They made out pretty good.
That is until the principal called Celeste one day and told her
that her son Carter would have to shut down his cookie business
because it was “competing with the lunch program”.
He had taken his mother Celeste McEntee’s original recipe and
made it all his own, branding them as “Crazy Carter’s Cookie
Creations” which showed up on the label on the package of each
cookie.
After the principal called though, this business could now only
operate out of Nye Beach Market which was eventually sold some
years later. Most everyone who has tried one of these cookies
claims to have never had one better. If you’re searching for the
perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe then look no further until
you’ve tried this one out at home!
EXACT INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
1 cup softened salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
MIX
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
MIX
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
MIX
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
MIX
Bake on 325 degrees F for 15 minutes

2020
TOYOTA
SUPRA
Photo by Jeremy Burke

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
Jake Colvin’s 600 horsepower 2020 Toyota Supra. Photo by Jeremy Burke

Social media superstar aims for the fastest
2020 Toyota Supra on the westcoast
his Newport native, Jake Colvin, sets lofty goals to
have the fastest 2020 Supra on the West Coast and
the fastest in the nation.
If anyone can do it, Jake is the guy. He cracked the code on
social media, racking up over 10 million followers online
who clamer for his daily content on sea life. He may be know
internationally for taking parasites off of shrimp and eating
seaweed, but this local wants to become a serious racer.
With upgrades too complex to list Jake has replaced just
about every thing on this Supra. From the suspesion to 600
horsepower under the carbon-fiber hood, this will be the car
to beat.
PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE
33

N E W P O R T
AT NIGHT
PHOTO BY: JEREMY BURKE

A PASSION FOR PIERCING
Ago Tattoo and Piercing owner still excited to get to work
t usually doesn’t take long for Ago Tattoo and Piercing
owner Nathan Morelli to steer a conversation with a
stranger into an in-depth personal soliloquy on body art.
That’s because saying that Morelli is passionate about his craft
is the ultimate understatement.
Morelli is a former competitive bodybuilder and Portland-area
native. After setting up shop with a partner about 13 years ago,
Morelli bought out the tattoo portion of Crazy Eights Tattoo
from his initial partner, and Morelli’s been the sole proprietor
of Ago Tattoo and Piercing at 1164 SW Coast Highway, Suite
D, for about the five years.
“It became entirely a piercing studio for about five minutes
there, but we hired two amazing (tattoo) artists to work here in
the studio, which is really cool,” Morelli said.
After graduating high school in 2007, Morelli found himself
working three jobs to make ends meet and to build his savings.
He says he worked at a McDonald’s in the mornings and on
rotating days also worked in a Safeway deli and machine shop.
Morelli managed to save enough to put himself through
piercing school, while keeping the machine shop gig.
“That was kind of the transition point where I ditched most
of the jobs, and then I really just fell in love with piercing,”
he said. “It took over my entire life at that point. I think
most of us are kind of dumb and start piercing and tattooing
themselves before 18, but everything I did I fell in love with it
a little more, and started thinking about how I wanted to do it
better. It really just kind of evolved from there.”
In devising a potential business model, Morelli found most
central coast residents traveled to Salem, Corvallis, Eugene or
Portland to receive high-quality tattoo or piercing work. He
then set his focus on setting up shop in Newport, though he’d
yet to visit.
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HEINBACH | PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE

“Newport just seemed like a great opportunity,” Morelli said. “And my entire
family was like, ‘we’re going to retire on the coast. If there’s a way we can work
there we would be there.’ It just really kind of made sense.”
A few years after buying the piercing side of Crazy Eights, Morelli’s partner in
the business took a job in Arizona, and Morelli made the place entirely his own.
He’s excited about the two in-house tattoo artists currently at Ago Tattoo and
Piercing — Miles Romero-Smith and Malcom Lynch.
“THE ONE-ON-ON HAS
BEEN REALLY COOL,”
MORELLI SAID. “THERE’S
NO DISTRACTIONS, AND IF
ANYTHING, OUR ARTISTS
ARE GETTING A LITTLE
MORE INTO IT WITH THEIR
CLIENTS. I THINK IT’S
ACTUALLY HELPED THE
CLIENT-PRACTITIONER
RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT
NOW. IT’S A DIFFERENT FEEL
RIGHT NOW, BUT I’M KIND
OF DIGGING IT. I’M NOT
COMPLAINING AT ALL.”
~ NATHAN MORELLI
OWNER AGO TATTOO AND PIERCING
“Miles is local, went to high school here in Newport. He’s lived here his whole
life and he’s really influenced by the black-and-gray style of art,” Morelli said.
“Malcom’s a Florida guy, he came over here from Gainesville and he really loves
to work in color realism. So we have this amazing balance between the two of
them.”
As much as Morelli likes to boast about Ago’s tattoo artists, he hopes their
clients are drawn to Ago by more than just word of mouth.
“Everyday someone walks in here and says they want a tattoo from us because
their friend said they got a good one here,” Morelli said. “They should’ve seen
the art first. I want them to love it and look at the work, make sure the line work
is clean and they like the color transitions. The work that leaves here should
speak for itself.
“We’re not going to be right for everyone, and we do turn away work that just
really isn’t our style,” Morellos said. “And don’t get upset about it when we
move you from artist to artist, too. It’s because we want the best for you.
Morelli says Ago Tattoo and Piercing has an equal focus on both the piercing
and tattooing sides of the business. But it’s the piercing portion of the shop
that gets him to puff out his well sculpted bodybuilder’s chest.
What he’s most proud of is his membership in the Association of Professional
Piercers, an international health and safety nonprofit dedicated to the
profession. Being a member requires piercers to use safe materials in a safe

environment, Morelli said.
But here’s a fair warning to anyone who engages Morelli in a conversation: don’t
expect that discussion to be a short one. Once someone gets Morelli talking on the
subject of his passion, it’s o small task trying to get him to stop.
“I love to pierce,” he said. “You give me an ear and we’re going to map it out, have
a lot of fun and make some cool plans. It could be simple, it could be extravagant, I
don’t care. It could be a simple as working around your hearing aid. All of it’s great.”
While currently dealing with COVID-19—prevention regulations set forth by Gov.
Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority, Ago Tattoo and Piercing serves one
customer at a time in its lobby. The two tattoo artists and Morelli at the piercing
station are separated by far more than six feet and are always vigilant about cleaning
and properly sanitizing.
“The one-on-on has been really cool,” Morelli said. “There’s no distractions, and
if anything, our artists are getting a little more into it with their clients. I think
it’s actually helped the client-practitioner relationships right now. It’s a different feel
right now, but I’m kind of digging it. I’m not complaining at all.”
For more information, visit agotattoo.com, go to its Facebook page or call Ago Tattoo
and Piercing at 541-574-7777.

FILLING
THE
VOID

All photos by Jeremy Burke

Stabi Dave’s aims to be anglers’ one-stop shop
y Bilyeu couldn’t contain his laughter when asked
during the weekend if he and Stabi Dave’s Bait &
Tackle co-owner Dave Clark could have found a
time better than this year to open a new business.
“It was a very spur-of-the-moment thing for us,” Bilyeu said.
“We were like, ‘hey, let’s do this,’ and then …,”
Bilyeu and Clark are avid local anglers and discovered that a
popular Reedsport destination, Ken’s Rod & Reel Repair, was
going out of business. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic
changed the business landscape, Clark and Bilyeu established
Stabi Dave’s at 3807 SE Ash St. in Newport, just south of the
Yaquina Bay Bridge.
“Ken (Silva) in Reedsport was known for refurbishing rods and
reels,” Stabi Dave’s store manager Jared Houtman said. “He
wanted to retire, and we kind of helped him retire earlier this
year. We kind of took the inventory from Ken’s Rod and Reels
shop and used it as a base to start our own place.”
To put it lightly, opening a new business during the initial
stages of a worldwide pandemic was a challenge.
“We weren’t sure at first if we were going to keep it going,”
Bilyeu said. “But really, we all just love fishing and decided to
go for it. It’s kind of a slow work in progress.”
Visitors who spend a minute or two inside the spacious store
will notice a full jewelry-store-style case of reels, fishing rods
stashed throughout the sales floor and hanging from the
ceiling, and a colorful variety of weights and lures.
Houtman said Stabi Dave’s, open Thursdays through Mondays
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., caters to recreational and sport anglers
of all skill and experience levels. He bragged the business “is
definitely No. 1” when it comes to bait supply and variety of
products and services available.
“Our bait selection is really unique,” Houtman said. “We offer
IQF (individually quick frozen) shrimp, which you can’t really
find anywhere on the coast. Our customers love our variety of
different flashers, we have a lot of weights and flutters … we’re
really trying to be a one-stop shop for all your gear.”
Stabi Dave’s also rents crab pots and soon will offer in-store
rod and reel repair services.
Despite current economic conditions, Stabi Dave’s seeks to fill
a void left in August, when Newport Bayfront staple Harry’s
Bait & Tackle closed its doors for owner Randy Druba’s
retirement.
“People come visit here and start searching online for a bait
shop, and Harry’s is usually the first one to pop up. We’re like
a second or third option once people realize that Harry’s is
closed,” Houtman said. “I think there’s just a been a longtime
tradition with decades of Harry’s being the place to go. We’re
trying to supplement that with a change to us. We’re not there
yet, but give us next fishing season, and I think we’ll almost be
right there.”
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HEINBACH | PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE

FINALLY
CRAB
SEASON STARTS

egon commercial crabbers finally hit the water
last weekend to kick off this year’s Dungeness
crab season, nearly a month after the season was
cleared to open for pre-soak on Dec. 13.
Crabbers held out three weeks for a price higher than what
the largest processors initially offered this year, eventually
settling with Pacific Seafood on $2.75 a pound with the added
stipulation that anyone who takes the offer must deliver their
first two loads to Pacific Seafood for processing.
“We’re happy to confirm that many of the fishing vessels that
we partner with have decided to start fishing,” a Monday
statement from Jon Steinman, vice president of processing
for Pacific Seafood, read. “Boats began setting pots over the
weekend, and our team members are accepting deliveries of
fresh Dungeness crab today.”
Taunnete Dixon, co-president of the Newport Fishermen’s
Wives and owner of F/V Tawny-Anne, confirmed $2.75 as
the offered price, but said the part of the agreement where
crabbers had to “lock in” to deliver at the Pacific Seafood plant
could cause trouble for some.
“Locking in for two deliveries is a pretty big impact for some
of the guys,” Dixon said. “It makes it more difficult for the
fishermen, many of which move on to live buyers who can
offer a higher price.”
Local live seafood sellers declined to comment, some noting
that with Chinese New Year around the corner on Feb. 12, it
would be irresponsible to make any statements. The Chinese
New Year typically brings with it a high demand for fresh
seafood.
Last year, the price for crab came in at roughly $3.64 per pound
across the entire season, according to a newsletter featured on
the Dungeness Crab Commission’s official website.
Negotiations ran long this year partly due to the far-reaching
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting every part of
the supply chain, from ocean to table. While fishermen held
out for the highest possible price, processors repeatedly said
they had to consider every link in the supply chain before
making an offer, from the plants to the markets to restaurants
and consumers.
A previous statement to the News-Times from the West
Coast Seafood Processors Association noted that the demand
for crab has fallen roughly 70 percent this year as many
restaurants remain shut down or otherwise limited across the
country due to the pandemic. Pacific Seafood also previously
stated processors have been facing a labor shortage and higher
production costs this year due to the pandemic.
California crab price negotiations were also resolved over the
weekend. The Half Moon Bay Marketing Association did not
WRITTEN BY MATTEW BROCK | PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE

elease the exact price its members will be buying
for, but did state it would be significantly lower
than the $3 per pound price that California
crabbers were asking and instead closer to $2.
There was no mention of stipulations placed on
crabbers similar to those placed on the agreement
between Oregon crabbers and Pacific Seafood.
A public statement from Half Moon Bay
Marketing Association said the agreement was
reached in order to avoid a “shotgun start” to the
season.
“A shotgun start is a scenario when a price
agreement and fishing beginning in another
region is the equivalent of a gun going off in a
race,” the statement reads. “This results in local
vessels heavily loaded with gear being forced to
scatter and run out to sea on as little as an hour’s
notice in sometimes dangerous conditions. For
2021, this scenario has been avoided, and we
hope this is a new precedent for the future.”
The Washington season remains closed until Jan.
15 due to high domoic acid levels in crabs.

PHOTOS BY: JEREMY BURKE

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