Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) cited 11 people for illegally taking Dungeness crab out of season following a tip from a concerned citizen.
Officers were alerted to the violations via the CALTIP line, where a citizen reported a large group wading into the water at Thornton State Beach in San Mateo County and taking Dungeness crab. Officers departed for the scene, but received a report of a second large group arriving at the beach in search of crabs.
Both California’s recreational and commercial Dungeness crab seasons are currently closed.
“Once on scene, wildlife officers made observations of the subjects unlawfully taking Dungeness crabs. Wildlife officers contacted several subjects carrying crabs in buckets, bags, and backpacks, ultimately issuing 11 citations for the take of Dungeness crabs out of season, take of undersized Dungeness crabs and for taking an overlimit of Dungeness crabs,” CDFW said in a social media post.
CDFW officers seized 95 of the illegally taken crabs and returned them to the water.
On 30 October, CDFW announced that it was postponing the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season until January 2027 at the earliest due to the high number of whale entanglements in fishing gear in 2026. The state counted seven confirmed entanglements of humpback whales in fishing gear this year, two of which were confirmed to be California commercial Dungeness crab gear.
“CDFW remains committed to working collaboratively with all sectors across California to protect whale and turtles from entanglements in fishing gear,” CDFW Director Meghan Hertel said in a release. “Partnerships are more important than ever as we work together to protect endangered whales and turtles and our fishing communities in the face of increasing disruptions from our changing climate.”
