The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open on Jan. 5 along most of California’s coast.
Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6, the zones from the Sonoma–Mendocino county line to the U.S.–Mexico border will be open under a 50 percent trap reduction. This is to reduce the number of humpback whales getting caught in fishing lines.
Opening dates for Zones 1 and 2, from the California-Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line will be further delayed “due to the inability to conduct industry-sponsored meat quality testing,” according to the CDFW.
When the two zones are open for fishing on Jan. 15, there will be a 25 percent trap reduction.
In recent years, the season-opening has been delayed due to the increase in whales and sea turtles getting entangled in fishing gear. It has become a collaborative effort between fishermen, environmental groups, scientists, and agency partners. Through CDFW and the California Ocean Protection Council, the state has allocated over $6 million to address the risks by buying electronic monitoring units, developing new tools for risk evaluation, and expanding alternative testing gear.
“This year’s fishery opener builds off over five years of efforts that entailed close to 150 meetings of the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, more than 50 risk assessments, and aerial surveys covering more than 20,000 miles of California’s coast,” the department said.
In addition, CDFW is lifting the temporary recreational crab trap restriction starting Jan. 2, 2025, from the Sonoma–Mendocino county line to Monterey County, in Northern California.
Historically, Dungeness crabs are usually just in time for the holidays. Although the season is shortened, it is still a lucrative business in the state, generating nearly $45 million per year.
