
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is opening the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 5, with pre-soak to begin on Jan. 2 at 8:01 a.m.
“This area (Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6) will be subject to a 50% trap reduction,” CDFW said in a Dec. 20 statement. “The trap reduction is expected to reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by decreasing the amount of gear and vertical lines in the water.”
However, the Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (Zones 1 and 2, California Oregon Border to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line) will be further delayed due to an inability to conduct industry-sponsored meat quality testing, the agency said.
The season automatically opens on Jan. 15, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. under a 25% trap reduction in both fishing zones, CDFW said, with a pre-soak period beginning Jan. 12, 2025, at 8:01 a.m.
The crab quality delay triggers the fair start provision under Fish and Game Code 8279.1. Under fair start, a vessel is prohibited from taking, possessing onboard, or landing crab in an area previously delayed for a period of 30 days from the date of the opening if that vessel previously participated in other commercial Dungeness crab fishing areas—including those in Oregon and Washington—during the same season.
While Dungeness crab has historically been available in time for the holidays, the presence of whales in the fishing areas and entanglements in fishing gear have delayed the season opening in the last several years.
Last season, the northern fishing zones opened on Jan. 5, while the central zones were delayed until Jan. 18. Despite the shortened seasons, the California Dungeness crab fishery remains one of the state’s most lucrative, averaging close to $45 million per year over the last five years, consistent with historical averages.
Any commercial Dungeness crab vessel fishing in or transiting Fishing Zones, regardless of fishing location, is subject to the 25 or 50% reduction based on the area transited. Additionally, vessels must have at least 25 or 50% of valid buoy tags for the current fishing season onboard and available for inspection by CDFW at all times.
Permitted commercial Dungeness crab vessels are allowed to retrieve up to six derelict commercial Dungeness crab traps per fishing trip pursuant to Section 132.2, Title 14, California Code of Regulations. Derelict fishing gear may also be reported through CalTIP.
CDFW said that it anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in mid-January. More information related to the risk assessment process is available at the CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. More information on the Dungeness crab fishery is available at www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.