Record Recreational Crabbing Season Likely

     OLYMPIA, WA (AP) - The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says 2011 is likely to be a record year for the amounts of crabs harvested by recreational crabbers in the Puget sound.

     The Kitsap Sun reports that (http://bit.ly/vaZcKE) about 2.1 million pounds of crabs were taken from Puget Sound waters in the summer season, which spans from July 1 and Labor Day, with additional harvest coming during the fall and winter.

     Rich Childers of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife say he will tally the total amount of crab after the catch reporting is

completed on Feb. 1. Based on the summer harvest, it appears that more crabs were caught this year than any year since annual estimates were first made in 1996.