Put Away Those Crab Crackers: The Start of the Bay Area Dungeness Season Is Delayed

California’s Dungeness crab season is delayed for the sixth year in a row. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials announced in a Friday, October 25 press release that the start of the commercial season set for Friday, November 15, is delayed due to the risk of humpback whale entanglement in trap gear.

In aerial surveys of the water this month, surveyors saw close to 100 humpback whales in Fishing Zones 3 and 4, which run from the Sonoma and Mendocino county line down to Lopez Point in Monterey County, in three separate instances. In response, the department is delaying the season in Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6, which includes the area from the Sonoma and Mendocino county line to the U.S.-Mexico border, including the Bay Area.

Recreational crab fishing will continue with its opening date on Saturday, November 2, but fishers are temporarily restricted from using traps in Fishing Zones 3 and 4. Hoop nets and crab snares will still be allowed in these areas.

The next risk assessment is set for or around Friday, November 15, which will determine whether the commercial season can start on Sunday, December 1, or whether another delay is necessary.