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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...