Will major Dungeness crab fisheries open before Christmas?

Will more of the US West Coast Dungeness crab fisheries open in time for the lucrative week of Christmas?

It is becoming a possibility, say experts.

Representatives from the three West Coast states -- Washington, Oregon and California -- are gearing up to make that decision on Dec. 10, almost two weeks after the fisheries would have been up and running in previous years.

"We are obligated to tell our industries by December 10 if we’re delayed longer or if we can open by December 15," Dan Ayers, coastal shellfish manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) told IntraFish.

Oregon