A proposal to heftily reduce crabbing and eliminate fishing on the new floats at the marina in Langley will be decided at a Port of South Whidbey meeting next week.

The discussion will take place at the board’s regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12 in South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District’s headquarters, 5475 Maxwelton Road.

As proposed, fishing will be prohibited entirely and crabbing limited to just nine people per week on the new floats at the marina. Those allowed to crab can do so only with a $10 permit, applied for and awarded via an application process. The rules would only apply to the new floats; fishing and crabbing would remain unrestricted from the wharf but banned inside the wooden breakwater among moored boats.

The new floats were opened to the public in 2014 as the first phase of a larger marina expansion project. Crabbing and fishing were allowed there, but problems such as noise, crowds, messes and complaints from boaters led marina staff to propose the new restrictions.