Fishery regulators in the U.S. state of Washington are considering changing the rules for its commercial Dungeness crab fisheries in an attempt to further reduce risks of whale entanglements.
The vertical lines used in American pot fisheries, including Dungeness crab fisheries, risk entangling endangered whale populations, including humpback whales on the U.S. West Coast.
The presence of humpback whales off the coast of California in 2024 forced state regulators to delay the state's Dungeness crab season opening for several weeks, depriving crab harvesters of critical fishing time. Dungeness crab seasons have also been closed early due to whales in recent years, leaving harvesters with limited time to get their traps in the water and haul in their catch.
The state of Washington has already introduced some rules to help reduce entanglement risk. In 2020, the state introduced line marking to help identify the owners of gear that entangles whales. Part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) new proposal is updating those line markers to improve visibility and traceability.
Other changes include limiting surface gear length and the number of buoys allowed.
“These proposed regulations are instrumental in advancing conservation efforts around whale entanglements,” WDFW Coastal Marine Fisheries Whale Entanglement Coordinator Megan Hintz said in a statement. “The coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery was the first on the West Coast to implement line marking, and we appreciate the industry's support in developing these new comprehensive requirements.”
State regulators also want to make the vessel operator responsible for register buoy brands annually instead of the license holder.
Public input on the draft rules will be accepted through 24 March 2025. WDFW has also scheduled a virtual town hall to discuss the changes on 26 February 2025.
