Tag: dungeness

Off-the-Boat Crab Sales at SF Fisherman’s Wharf Now More Accessible
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Off-the-Boat Crab Sales at SF Fisherman’s Wharf Now More Accessible

Aficionados of fresh Dungeness crab in the Bay Area now have easier access to purchase it from commercial crabbers thanks to installation of a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) float for off-the-boat sales at Fisherman’s Wharf. The port is completing the first phase of the Wharf J9 Replacement Project, featuring the new ADA-accessible float and road upgrades along Al Scoma Way in conjunction with this year’s off-the-boat sales. “We’re excited to deliver the first phase of this project to support our local fishers, increase public access and ensure the Wharf remains a vibrant hub for the community and local businesses,” Port of San Francisco Executive Director Elaine Forbes said. Wharf J9 lies in the protected shoreline harbor of the Outer Lagoon area of Fisherman's Wha...
Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14
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Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14

Oregon’s multi-million dollar commercial Dungeness crab fishery is scheduled to run through Aug. 14, barring any emergency closures, after a late start prompted by pre-season testing that showed the crab were insufficient in meat yield to open before Jan. 15. Tests showed that the crab were too low in meat yield in four regions, and domoic acid was elevated in crab viscera (internal organs) in two areas of the south coast, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin found in shellfish, also known as amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), can cause a range of symptoms from vomiting and abdominal cramps to seizures and coma. Last year’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery paid over $90 million in ex-vessel value to harvester...
Dungeness Crab Season from Cape Falcon, Ore. to Calif. Border Opens Soon
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Dungeness Crab Season from Cape Falcon, Ore. to Calif. Border Opens Soon

Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery is scheduled to open Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon, inside Oswald State Park, to the California border. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced plans for the opener on Dec. 6, saying pre-season testing in the area shows crab meat fill meets criteria and domoic acid is below the safety threshold. State fishery biologists said pre-season testing in Long Beach, Wash. shows crab meat fill is significantly lower than required for commercial harvest. Oregon officials said they plan to open the north coast in coordination with southern Washington to ensure consumers get a quality product and crab is not wasted. Dec. 31 is the earliest the area could open, according to Oregon Fish and Wildlife. Meanwhile, the commercial fleet can b...
Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Put On Hold for 3 Calif. Counties
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Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Put On Hold for 3 Calif. Counties

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has put the Northern California commercial Dungeness crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties (Fishing Zones 1 and 2) on hold until Dec. 1. State fish and wildlife officials said in Nov. 25 announcement that the opener was being delayed because crab meat quality tests could not be conducted due to high domoic acid concentrations in crab collected at Northern California port locations. The agency also said that additionally high numbers of humpback and blue whale were observed in these fishing zones, creating an elevated entanglement risk. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery delay in Fishing Zones 3 through 6, which constitutes the rest of the California coast, is scheduled to continue due to the presence of hum...
Calif. Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Delayed to Protect Whales from Entanglement
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Calif. Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Delayed to Protect Whales from Entanglement

California’s 2024 commercial Dungeness crab fishery, which had been scheduled to open Nov. 15, has been delayed due to a high abundance of humpback whales and large number of recent entanglements in fishing areas. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Oct. 25 that the commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line would not open as scheduled in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 due to the aforementioned issues regarding whales. CDFW said that it anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Nov. 15, at which time the agency’s director will re-evaluate risk for the Dungeness crab fisheries. That risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1, as well as the pot...
CDFW Plans Assessment of Marine Life Entanglement Risk for Dungeness Crab
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CDFW Plans Assessment of Marine Life Entanglement Risk for Dungeness Crab

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced plans for an assessment of marine life entanglement risk for commercial Dungeness crab on or around Friday, May 17, using the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP). CDFW officials said May 13 that regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission provide their director with authority to also apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement rick informed by RAMP. The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group is scheduled to meet May 16 to review available data and CDFWs preliminary assessment. The director is then to consider all data made available to CDFW prior to determining the appropriate management action to minimize entanglement risk. CDFW said a...
Calif. Closes Dungeness Crab Fisheries Early to Minimize Humpback Whale Entanglements
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Calif. Closes Dungeness Crab Fisheries Early to Minimize Humpback Whale Entanglements

Aerial and vessel surveys showing that humpback whale numbers are rising as they return to forage off the California coast have prompted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to close commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries, effective April 8. CDFW, which made the announcement on March 28, said the closures will be effective in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6, from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the U.S.-Mexico border, plus a 30-fathom depth constraint for commercial Dungeness crab fisheries in Zones 1 and 2, from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the Oregon border. Traps used by commercial fishers in Zones 1 and 2 will be prohibited in waters seaward of the 30-fathomn contour. A recreational crab trap prohibition is also being implemented in Zones...
Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Begins Feb. 1 North of Cape Falcon, Ore.
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Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Begins Feb. 1 North of Cape Falcon, Ore.

Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has announced the Feb. 1 opener of a commercial Dungeness crab fishing period from Cape Falcon to Klipsan Beach, Wash. Officials said a fourth round of pre-season testing showed that male crabs in this area were not quite ready for a January opening. The additional time is expected to allow crab to continue to fill with meat before harvest, they said. Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season, targeted to open Dec. 1, can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs aren’t wasted. This year’s season was partially opened (from Cape Foulweather to the California border) on Dec. 16, after a delay due to low meat yield in areas north of Cape Foulweather. Commercial crabbing began Dec. 31 from...
CDFW Schedules Risk Assessment Update on Marine Life Entanglement
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CDFW Schedules Risk Assessment Update on Marine Life Entanglement

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Monday announced plans for an assessment on or about Friday, Dec. 8 to determine the marine life entanglement risk for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery. In addition, regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission will allow CDFW director Chuck Bonham the authority to apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement risk informed by the state’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP). The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group is to meet Dec. 6 to review available data and CDFW’s preliminary assessment, after which Bonham is to consider all data available to CDFW prior to determining the appropriate management action to minimize entanglement risk. ...
Humpback Whale Sightings Delay Calif. Dungeness Crab Season
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Humpback Whale Sightings Delay Calif. Dungeness Crab Season

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that due to increased concentrations of blue and humpback whales in fishing areas, a delay in commercial fishing for Dungeness crab in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 has been instituted. Also announced on Nov. 17 was that the season delay in Fishing Zones 3-6 remains in effect. Restrictions are also being continued for crab traps in the recreational crab fishery in several fishing zones. CDFW officials said the next scheduled risk assessment is expected on or about Dec. 7 or 8. In a separate statement also issued on Nov. 17, the international ocean conservation group Oceana said the delay in the Dungeness crab fishing season was aimed at protecting whales, but also due to poor crab meat quality in northern California’s Fishin...