Where to go crabbing near Vancouver?

[GTRio]

Just wondering if anyone knows of some good places to dive for crab in the vancouver area. I heard cates park was good but also that it was bad, also is there any closures to take note of?

Thanks,
Brandon.

 

[Les]

read licensing booklet and regulations.
In my opinion all crabbing around Vancouver shore dives is in poor shape. Over the years, Cates Park has been over crabbed by greedy people taking everything, to the point of being lucky to see a single crab on a dive!!! I can't confirm but I bet you no fishing licenses were obtained. Very sad to see that the undersized and females are not put back to replenish. I wish I were DFO for everytime I saw buckets of crabs being carried off to the car or cooked on the beach and shells chucked back into the water before the RCMP could get there.
As you may see, this is a big issue to me. Sorry I can't give better news.
Les

 

[NOLA]

Try belcarra park...ive had lots of success....

 

[GTRio]

Thanks

 

[MarkH]

Back when I lived in Vancouver 10 years ago, it was recommended (maybe by DFO? I don't remember) that you don't eat more than a certian # of grams of local Vancouver-area crab meat per week and avoid anything from the body itself. This was because of toxins/heavy metals in the sediment from Vancouver's industrial past. There was also some concern over micro-biological contamination. I don't know if this is still the case, but I would assume it is.

 

[Slamfire]

Whisky Cove. I've seen lots of crabs there. A lot of them undersized, though.

 

[sschlesi]

Back when I lived in Vancouver 10 years ago, it was recommended (maybe by DFO? I don't remember) that you don't eat more than a certian # of grams of local Vancouver-area crab meat per week and avoid anything from the body itself. This was because of toxins/heavy metals in the sediment from Vancouver's industrial past. There was also some concern over micro-biological contamination. I don't know if this is still the case, but I would assume it is.

Such warnings exist in many areas, particularly near pulp mills. See this link
Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pacific Region | Recreational Fishing | Tidal Area Regulations for info on the Howe Sound and Indian Arm area. Check out other areas on the DFO site if you are going crabbing anywhere else.