whales – Fishermens News

Calif. Closes Dungeness Crab Fisheries Early to Minimize Humpback Whale Entanglements

3Apr

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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...

CDFW Delays Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Season Opener

1Nov

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CDFW Delays Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Season Opener

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has said that it expects an assessment by Nov. 17 re-evaluating risks to humpback whales in the area of a Dungeness crab fishery before setting a new date for the fishery opener, which was previously set for Nov. 15. For now, the opening date of the Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma-Mendocino County line remains uncertain. According to CDFW, the risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1 and the potential as well to modify the recreational trap restriction. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma-Mendocino County line had been scheduled to open Nov. 15 in fishing Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6. CDFW also announced a temporary crab trap restriction in the re...

Court Rules Against WFC in Southeast Alaska Fishery Case

28Jun

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Court Rules Against WFC in Southeast Alaska Fishery Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Southeast Alaska commercial trollers in a case involving a lawsuit by the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) in Seattle that hoped to stop a fishery in order to provide more fish for endangered killer whales in Puget Sound. The fishery is now set to begin July 1. The lawsuit had threatened to close the lucrative summer and winter salmon fisheries, which are major contributors to the Southeast Alaska economy. The appeals court found that Judge Richard Jones in the Western District Court of Washington was in error when he vacated portions of a 2019 Southeast Alaska biological opinion that allowed for commercial king salmon trolling in that area, even if that document was flawed. The appeals court also said that the state of Al...

10May

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ODFW Issues Fleet Advisory for Dungeness Crab Fishery to Protect Whales

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have issued a fleet advisory for commercial Dungeness crab harvesters through May 31, urging vigilance to avoid setting gear in area where humpback whales are transiting or foraging to further minimize risk of entanglement. ODFW is anticipating an above average crab harvest in May, based on the high volume of late-season tag purchases. Meanwhile, surveys conducted in Oregon waters from April 13 through April 25 observed scattered humpbacks and other large whales in waters deeper than 270 fathoms, primarily in the southern region from Newport to the Oregon-California border. However one aggregation of about 30 to 50 humpbacks was observed within 40 fathoms, just outside the Columbia River mouth. Due to ocean dynamics and the rapid movem...

Toxic Toilet Tissue Found in Endangered Orca Whales: UBC Study

18Jan

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Toxic Toilet Tissue Found in Endangered Orca Whales: UBC Study

University of British Columbia researchers say a chemical used to produce toilet paper, as well as so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in the carcasses of stranded endangered orca whales offshore of the Canadian province. Study results, released in December 2022 in an online publication of the American Chemical Society, show that chemical pollutants are prevalent in killer whales. A chemical often found in toilet paper was the one of the most prevalent in the samples studied, accounting for 46% of the total pollutants identified. The research was a collaborative effort of the UBC Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with researchers analyzing tissue samples from six Southern Resident killer ...

NOAA Hosts First Responder Training on Responding to Entangled Whales

12Oct

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NOAA Hosts First Responder Training on Responding to Entangled Whales

NOAA Fisheries, which leads the Alaska Large Whale Entanglement Response Program, held workshops in four Alaska communities this fall on how to best respond to entangled whales. The training sessions in Metlakatla, Auke Bay and Gustavus in Southeast Alaska, and Cordova, on Prince William Sound, taught safety skills needed to approach whales in distress, especially entangled whales. Participating NOAA employees and partner agencies included a team of advanced, authorized responders and trainers who use specialized equipment to safely and legally respond to entangled whales. The program emphasized the importance of assessment and documentation from a safe, legal distance from the on-water communities. The response program includes a team of advanced, authorized responders and tr...