The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has temporarily suspended recreational crab trap activity in certain ocean zones, citing the continued presence of humpback whales and the associated threat of entanglements within Fishing Zones 3 and 4. According to the latest release from CDFW, while using other crab-catching tools like hoop nets and crab snares is still permitted, heavy restrictions on the use of traps are being upheld in efforts to protect marine life.
Moreover, the CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham has decided, under the guidelines of the Fish and Game Code 5523, to delay the recreational Dungeness crab season in the northernmost reaches of Fishing Zone 1, stretching from the California/Oregon border to the edge of the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve, this action directly results from worrying levels of domoic acid that have been detected in the area. As reported by the CDFW, a Fleet Advisory encompasses all recreational fishing zones, which remains firmly in place.
The commercial crabbing segment has not been spared by these measures either. Director Bonham has also postponed the onset of the commercial Dungeness crab season within Zones 1 and 2—which include Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties—initially set to begin on December 1 due to high domoic acid concentrations in crabs at northern port locales preventing the crucial crab meat quality tests. Moreover, an increased number of whales observed in these waters has raised fears about the high risk of entanglements.
Commercial fishing delays extend south, now affecting Fishing Zones 3-6. With four commercial fishery entanglements documented just this year, the CDFW is taking a cautious approach. The goal of the delay is to lower the risk of entanglement, giving the migrating whales traveling to their winter breeding grounds less overlap with fishing operations. By early December, another assessment of entanglement risk will be run by the CDFW, focusing on the potential lifting of the existing restrictions on or around December 15. Information regarding the risk assessment process is available through CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries web page. For those seeking broader details about the Dungeness crab fishery, resources are accessible on CDFW’s dedicated crab web page.
