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Local speakers say ropeless-gear mandate would 'shut down' much of the crab prep season
Summary
Fisher representatives and council members told Toledo's special meeting that requiring ropeless gear could force small boats out of the fishery and ripple through the local economy, citing equipment costs and workforce displacement.
Speakers at the Toledo special meeting emphasized the potential economic harm of a rule that would require ropeless (pop-up) gear in the Dungeness crab fishery. One council participant said the change "could essentially shut down the majority of our business prep season," arguing that closures in fishing operations would also harm other local businesses.
City Manager Higner and others highlighted equipment costs, saying such gear can cost "tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per vessel," and raised concerns that lenders "will likely not provide financing for uncrewed technology." The meeting included local fishers introduced by the mayor—Gary Ripcutt and members of the Rutherford family—who were present to answer questions and who, according to speakers, face acute affordability and timeline pressures if a short experimental requirement is imposed.
Speakers warned about workforce impacts if boats and processing operations shut down; Higner noted that employees often relocate with families when work disappears, compounding local economic effects.
