Fisherman are staying in port even though the region’s commercial crab season began more than a week ago. That’s because they say the $2-per-pound price being offered by seafood processors is too low.

The processors counter that fishermen’s demand of $2.50-per-pound will price out consumers on tight budgets during difficult economic times.

Thanksgiving dinners in San Francisco and beyond have long featured crab alongside the traditional turkey and stuffing.

Seafood retailers complain that the dispute is costing them business as they turn away disappointed customers. Recreational crabbers have been free to drop their pots in the Pacific since Nov. 5.