Coastal commercial season ended with 22.2 million pounds

Published 1:30 am Monday, April 6, 2026

Pink shrimp’s impact is far from small: Washington’s 2025 coastal commercial season finished with a total catch of 22.2 million pounds, and the value of state landings was $11.4 million.

While other shrimp species inhabit coastal Washington waters, only pink shrimp have been abundant enough to support a large, long-term commercial fishery. The state fishery began off Grays Harbor in 1956, spurred partly by growing demand for “cocktail” shrimp. Activity is now split between the ports of Westport and Ilwaco. Catches in 1958 exceeded 6.5 million pounds but declined to less than 2 million pounds annually through the 1960s. In subsequent decades, landings fluctuated in response to shrimp abundance and market forces.

Pink shrimp are caught by trawl gear; the majority of active vessels in the Washington fleet are double-rigged with semi-pelagic, fine-meshed shrimp nets.

Fishing occurs during daylight hours reflecting the behavior of ocean pink shrimp which exhibit a vertical diurnal migration, moving to the bottom during daylight hours and ascending to feed at night. The typical commercial trip ranges from 3 to 6 days including transit to and from the fishing grounds. Shorter trips can occur when fishing is especially productive.

Washington, Oregon and California have established a common season for the commercial pink shrimp fishery, which opened April 1 and closes Oct. 31 each year.