Diving for food question

[Iqjumpuw]

Hey guys

I went diving for some crabs this morning at Mukilteo and saw some sea urchins and abalone. Are they edible here in Northwest and are we even allowed to catch them? I tried to look it up online but wasn't very successful.

Also, this is my third time diving at the oil dock and I didn't see many crabs at all. It seems like every time I dive, there are less crabs. My buddy caught 1 and I caught 2 after going in as deep as 46 feet for over 30 minutes. It was 7:30th almost high tide.

Any feedback?

[eliseaboo]

If you saw abalone I'd be impressed - they've been very rare in the Puget Sound area for quite some time. They are illegal to take. Sea urchins fall under the shellfish category and are regulated by WDFW (see page 11 of this PDF for a definition of shellfish: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01500/wdfw01500.pdf) - it looks like there is no season and the daily limits are 36 for green, and 18 for purple or red. As for their edibility I have no idea - I tried sea urchin once and I suppose it must be an acquired taste!

Anything that isn't classified specifically in the rules is off-limits as well, so check out the definition of shellfish, as well as the shellfish section, beginning on page 130 of the document above. I assume you have a shellfish license? You can add a crab endorsement to any license, but to harvest anything classified as a shellfish remember you need that license. There may be specific regulations with regards to taking on scuba, so check the regulations for whatever species you want to collect before you jump in. Happy hunting!

[Dusty2]

I'm not a food diver so I can't say much about the crab population except that it does seem to fluctuate a lot. Red urchins are pretty much limited to the straits though you might see an occasional one in the sound. What you probably saw that you thought was abalone was rock scallops. They are legal in season. I would be very careful where you catch food critters, especially during the summer months. Watch for signs. The state does pretty good at watching for toxic contamination and posts sites regularly. They also have a website for toxic sites.

Always check before you collect. These things move around and some of them are pretty dangerous if consumed.

[Iqjumpuw]

Thanks for the information guys. I had no idea you can actually catch sea urchins. I can't stand the taste but my friends love it so I was wondering. I do have license. I always get it every year but I've only been diving for a year so I'm still new.

I'm still just wondering about the crab population down by the oil dock. I've always heard that oil dock is the best place to go for crabs but I'm worried too many divers are catching them non stop. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

[Mateo1147]

I have had very good luck in the past at the Mukilteo oil dock for crab but it does vary. I have never crabbed in the late season so I couldn't comment on the population this time of year. I am one of those people that loves sea urchin and get hungry every time I see a big red urchin while diving. Good hunting and please follow the regs!