California Fish and Wildlife has approved ropeless pop-up gear for spring Dungeness crab fishing, allowing licensed fishers statewide to apply to use the whale-safe technology from April 1 through July 15.
Dungeness crab
Posted inFood & Drink
Commercial Dungeness crab season will open Jan. 5 on the Central Coast
The Central Coast Dungeness commercial crab season will open Jan. 5 with 40% fewer traps permitted, in order to reduce the risk of lines entangling whales. State officials and environmental groups say the restrictions balance fishers’ economic needs with wildlife protection as entanglements have declined.
Posted inFood & Drink
Drop in whale entanglements fuels optimism that Dungeness crab season can open Jan. 1
State wildlife officials are flying the California coast this week, counting humpback and blue whales to determine whether the commercial Dungeness crab season can safely open on Jan. 1 or should be delayed to protect whales.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Capitola Mall redevelopment inches forward; Driscoll’s pledges $5M for new campus farm store in SLO
The Capitola Mall’s future as a housing development is on the agenda for the city’s planning commission this week, Driscoll’s invests at Cal Poly and a commercial crabbing delay are all in focus in Jessica M. Pasko’s weekly survey of Santa Cruz County business.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Restaurant community joins to help Gabriella Café chef; Moss Landing dining revival
In her Tuesday newsletter, Lily Belli spotlights local chefs collaborating on a fundraising dinner for Gabriella Café chef Gema Cruz as she faces cancer, gives readers a taste of newcomer The Landing and notes other local food & drink news and events of interest.
Posted inLatest News
Commercial Dungeness crab season faces another year of delays across Santa Cruz County
The familiar sight of fresh local crab at holiday feasts could be delayed once again this year, as state officials announced the seventh year of restrictions on the upcoming commercial and recreational Dungeness crab seasons.
Posted inFood & Drink
Pop-up crab traps aim to save Central Coast’s struggling fisheries and its threatened whale population
After years of trials, whale-safe “pop-up” crab traps will be available to all commercial crabbers for the first time in spring 2026. The traps are a breakthrough for an issue that has plagued fishing communities and conservationists for a decade: how to protect whales from harm from crab fishing gear and crabbers’ livelihoods.
Posted inLatest News
Ask Lookout: What’s the status of humpback whales in Monterey Bay and Dungeness crab fishing gear entanglements?
Humpback whale populations have increased, but a change in migration patterns has them staying in Monterey Bay during the traditional winter season of crab fishing. With more entanglements and a lawsuit in 2016, the state has delayed crab fishing season every year since and fishers are hoping for a solution.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
A ‘perfect storm’ of environmental and political issues is driving Santa Cruz fishers out of the water
Santa Cruz County’s fishing industry is in crisis. For generations, local fishers have relied on catching Dungeness crab in the fall and winter and Chinook salmon in the spring and summer. But over the past nine years, a “perfect storm” of environmental challenges, promised disaster relief that has failed to surface and few viable solutions for the future is forcing boats out of the water.
Posted inFood & Drink
Low stock numbers usher in a ‘devastating’ Dungeness crab season
After a late start to the Dungeness crab season, fishers along the West Coast, including Santa Cruz County, are reporting extremely low stock numbers. It’s not clear why there are so few full-sized crabs, and it could be just a “down year,” according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The low numbers are leading some Santa Cruz fishers to move on to other fisheries early, while others are capitalizing on the high price, which has doubled from previous years.