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.
fishing industry
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 inFood & Drink
California’s long-awaited salmon season closes early after anglers exceed quota
After a successful opening weekend exceeded the season limit, California’s salmon spot-fishing days in July and August have been canceled.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
California salmon season canceled for third year in a row, but will open for limited recreational dates
For the third year in a row, California’s commercial salmon fishing season has been canceled due to critically low fish stocks, dealing another major blow to the state’s struggling fishing industry. While commercial boats remain docked, limited recreational salmon fishing will be allowed statewide on select dates this summer and fall.
Posted inFood & Drink
H&H Fresh Fish Co. plans second seafood market on Santa Cruz’s Westside
Nearly 20 years after establishing a seafood market in the Santa Cruz Harbor, H&H Fresh Fish Co. is planning to open a second location in Santa Cruz’s Westside neighborhood this summer. Co-owner Hans Haveman said the decision to open the satellite location was motivated by concerns about how the Murray Street Bridge construction project will affect H&H’s original market in the harbor.
Posted inFood & Drink
From crisis to comeback: How a tiny nonprofit is working to save Monterey Bay’s fishing industry
It’s an era of few wins for Monterey Bay’s fishing industry, but the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, a nonprofit that supports local fishers and sustainability in the bay, is enjoying some success and looking ahead. With partners like Second Harvest Food Bank, the trust’s community seafood program has tripled the amount of locally caught fish provided to needy families in the past two years. This year, it’s working with data scientists and economists to see how it can replace industry infrastructure lost over the past two decades, and grow it for the future – all while prioritizing the health of Monterey Bay.
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.