Fisheries regulators on the West Coast are further delaying the opening of their states’ respective commercial Dungeness crab seasons due to the presence of humpback whales and low meat quality, with all but a small portion of Oregon's coast unlikely to open before the end of the year.
On 6 December, the state of California announced it was delaying the start of the commercial crab season for a third time this year, citing the continued presence of blue and humpback whales in the area. The season was initially slated to open on 15 November.
California law requires state regulators to take protective action when there is a high risk of whale entanglement. In a 4 December assessment, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF) reported that humpback and blue whale sightings remain high throughout most of the state’s fishing zones: a NOAA aerial survey counted 28 humpback whales in Fishing Zone 5 on 1 December.
The continued whale presence led the department to recommend further delaying the season start in all six of the state’s fishing zones.
“The recommendation is also supported by the high number of entanglements that occurred during the current 2024 calendar year and 3-year average Impact Score for the commercial fishery,” CDFW noted in its assessment.
California plans to conduct its next assessment around 20 December. If conditions have sufficiently improved by that point, the state could open the commercial season on 1 January.
Ocean conservation NGO Oceana welcomed the continued delay, highlighting the high number of reported entanglements this year. CDFW has confirmed four entanglements in 2024 caused by commercial Dungeness crab gear, while another nine humpback whales have been entangled in unidentified fishing gear.
“We support the Department’s decision to further delay opening the crab season, especially with whales still feeding off our shores and the alarming number of whale entanglements this year,” Oceana California Campaign Director Geoff Shester said in a statement.
The state of Washington has also opted to further delay its commercial Dungeness crab season …
