Quick Take
The commercial Dungeness crab season throughout California will remain closed until at least Dec. 15 due an abundance of migrating whales off the coast, which can become entangled in the fishing gear.
The commercial Dungeness crab season will remain closed throughout California due to an abundance of whales off the coast, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday.
Migrating humpback whales off the Central Coast, which includes Santa Cruz County, are at risk of becoming entangled in crab fishing gear. There have already been a high number of entanglements so far this year, including four that involved the commercial fishery. “The delay will allow whales to continue their migration to winter breeding grounds and away from the fishing grounds, thereby reducing entanglement risk,” said the CDFW in a media release.
In Northern California, the season was scheduled to open in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties on Dec. 1, but has been postponed due to high domoic acid concentrations from crab collected in that area. Domoic acid is a toxin that, while harmless to crabs, can be harmful and even fatal to any animals that eat them, including humans. Recreational fishing in this area has also been postponed.
The recreational season for Dungeness crab is open in the rest of the state, including Santa Cruz County. The use of traps is prohibited, but fishers can use hoop nets, snares or other methods.
This is the sixth consecutive year that the Dungeness crab season has been postponed multiple times after its traditional start on Nov. 15. The 2023-24 season opened on Jan. 18 after four postponements.
CDFW Director Charlton Bonham will assess entanglement risk again in early December for a potential start date of Dec. 15.
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