San Francisco's Dungeness crab fleet is refusing to fish due to a dispute over the price of the tasty crustaceans.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the fishermen stayed in harbor Wednesday after hearing that fish brokers wanted to cut the price of fresh crab from $3 per pound to $1.80.

Buyers say the demand for Dungeness has dropped since Thanksgiving, leading to steep drops in retail prices.

Larry Collins of the Crab Boat Owners Association in San Francisco said hardworking fishermen from Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay do not want to take a pay cut.

Whole Foods Markets, which only sells fresh crab, had already run out and were waiting for the strike to be resolved.

Last year a price dispute delayed crab fishing by weeks.