Oregon Dungeness crab, a prized seafood delicacy, is internationally lauded as a culinary wonder; its distinctly sweet, succulent flavor is a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. 

The start of each season is anxiously anticipated by chefs and consumers alike, while vessels line up along each of six of Oregon’s commercial crab ports, from Astoria to Brookings, ready to roll out at a moment’s notice. Testing done annually by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determines when the horn sounds. It can feel like a long wait for fishermen.

Healthy Benefits

As our state’s official crustacean and an integral part of the Northwest’s seafood heritage, Oregon Dungeness crab has been harvested commercially since the late 1800s. The health benefits of Oregon Dungeness crab are plentiful; high in protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and low in calories, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates and mercury, Oregon Dungeness crab is as nutritious as it is tasty. The type of fatty acids in the meat contribute to that briny, sweet flavor people crave.

Buying Oregon Dungeness crab supports our local community and economy. Local fishermen work long, tireless hours, risking their lives and leaving their families behind to deliver fresh Oregon Dungeness crab to consumers’ tables. It’s a profession charged with great difficulty, and fishermen take pride in delivering fresh, sustainable, and delicious Oregon Dungeness crab to market. 

Corey Rock is a third-generation fisherman, growing up in an industry with a grandfather who was “a jack of all trades”. “My grandfather was a logger,” explained Corey, “who grew up on the back side of the depression.” When the logging industry slowed down, a move to Depoe Bay launched a multi-generational family fishing business. 

Corey has been fishing since he was little, starting out on his dad’s hand-built boat, which Corey describes as “a weapon. Everyone knew that boat up and down the coast, and dad always got the best crews. Everyone wanted to be on it.”

Besides crab, Corey enjoys fishing for shrimp from his boat, named ‘F/V Kylie Lynn’, and in contrast to many fishermen who name their boats after family members, Corey named his daughter after the boat he’d purchased when she was born. He outfits and fabricates it himself to save money.  

“It’s an all-consuming family business,” said Corey. His wife, Maria, balanced raising a family and making deliveries when the boat pulled in when their kids were young. 

Maria is also a former president of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, a non-profit comprised of fishermen’s wives, mothers, daughters, and friends who provide irreplaceable support in the community. When tragedy strikes the industry, they are there. They’re the public face of the fishing community, a band of women who show up at a moment’s notice when needs arise. As Corey said, “when shit hits the fan, that’s the group that stands up and takes care of people.”

Read Also: Where Your Next Getaway Becomes a Story Worth Telling

That group is there for fishing families like Bob Eder’s, who lost his son Ben and three crewmen at sea on December 11, 2001. There is a plaque in Newport dedicated to F/V Nesika that says, “May the Life of This Fleet Be Bountiful and Safe.”

Corey loves the competitiveness of fishing. “No one is going to help you,” he said, “it’s all on your shoulders. It can be high stress, high risk, and high success if you get it right. You just hope you are on the right side of the scale. You can have one good day, then three bad ones. But we are making something available that otherwise isn’t available to consumers. I love that.”