The state of California has wrapped up its second experimental Dungeness crab fishery, which utilizes pop-up gear to reduce the risk of whale entanglements.
“The results of this spring’s pop-up gear testing are nothing less than wildly successful,” Oceana California Campaign Director and Senior Scientist Geoff Shester said in a statement. “Even with a vast increase in the amount of gear each fisherman was allowed to use, not a single string of fishing gear was lost. This world-class testing proves once again that this innovative fishing gear is successful, profitable, enforceable, whale-safe, and ready to restore a vibrant spring crab fishery. “
California’s Dungeness crab fishery has struggled in recent years as regulators attempt to strike a balance between enabling commercial fishers and protecting whales from becoming entangled in the vertical lines used to set and retrieve traps. During the most recent season, fishing areas remained closed for weeks after they were set to open due to the presence of whales, and then the season closed early after whales returned.
Pop-up and ropeless gear alternatives attempt to remove that entanglement risk by getting rid of the vertical lines altogether. Fishers have been testing the alternative gear types in fisheries on both coasts of the country, with the California Dungeness crab pilot program being the largest experiment. Operating under an Experimental Fishing Permit (EFP), the pilot program allows a small group of fishers to set traps in the Spring after the regular season has ended as long as they use ropeless or popup gear.
Gear for the California program was provided by Sub Sea Sonics and Guardian Ropeless Systems, who hailed the 2025 season – which wrapped up recently – as yet another success story for their products.
“Two consecutive EFPs have shown that the Sub Sea Sonics and Guardian Ropeless pop-up system is affordable and highly reliable while at the same time virtually eliminating entanglement risk. It is time for the gear to be authorized so that all licensed commercial crabbers can participate,” Russ Mullins, the owner of Guardian Ropeless Systems, said in a statement.
State regulators had authorized doubling the number of participants in the experimental spring fishery due to the initial success, although actual participation declined. A total of 19 fishers participated in the 2024 fishery, while only 12 participated in the 2025 fishery. Still, while overall landings and value of the EFP were down, per vessel catch and landings were both up. In 2024, 19 fishers landed roughly 292,000 pounds of crab valued at approximately USD 1.5 million (EUR 1.4 million). In 2025, 12 fishers landed roughly 217,000 pounds of crab valued at approximately USD 1.4 million (EUR 1.2 million).
And despite deploying more gear per vessel in 2025, fishers again demonstrated a gear loss rate of just .2 percent. Participants hauled 1,163 strings of gear with 25,721 traps with a gear reliability rate of 98 percent. Fishers were able to recover the remaining gear via grappling or collecting the strings from the second end.
According to conservation NGO Oceana, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is finalizing new regulations that would approve pop-up gear for the regular Dungeness crab fishery beginning in Spring 2026.
“Oceana applauds all the fishermen who have devoted their time and expertise in advancing pop-up gear trials, investing in the future of California’s Dungeness crab fishery and the protection of whales,” Shester said. “Thanks to the commitment by gear manufactures, law enforcement, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fish and Game Commission, and Ocean Protection Council, California is poised to lead the nation in an approach to expand fishing opportunities while preventing whale entanglements. We commend California fishery managers for their commitment to ensure pop-up gear is authorized for use by all commercial crabbers starting next spring.”
