The Dungeness crab season in the US state of Washington is closed until next month at the earliest, but that didn't stop one man from trying to illegally harvest 27 of the coveted crustaceans ahead of the holidays.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reported Thursday (Dec. 12), via social media, that enforcement officials "observed a subject crabbing from a local pier in the north sound." 

Upon further inspection, the officers discovered a man, who was not identified in the posting, as being in possession of 27 Dungeness crabs -- 22 of which were female and unlawful to possess. The remaining five crabs, while male, were undersized, with one in a "soft shell condition."

None of the catch was recorded, WDFW said . The man is being charged with criminal violations for 1st degree over limit, possession of female crab, possession of Dungeness crab that is undersized and soft shell, and failure to record. All the crabs were documented before being returned to the water.

Recall that earlier this month, Dungeness harvests in the US states of Washinton, Oregon and California -- representing between 10 million and 30m pounds of crab -- were delayed due to a number of factors, including concerns about whale entanglement and biotoxins that were found in certain areas. 

The inability to hit the water has resulted in tight supplies of Dungeness ahead of the holidays, as previously reported by Undercurrent News.