CA's commercial Dungeness crab season delayed until at least mid-December, officials say

SAN FRANCISCO -- The commercial Dungeness crab fishing season in Northern and Central California has been delayed for a second time, until at least mid-December, by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The CDFW cited the presence of humpback and blue whales off the coast in making the decision to delay the start of the season on Thursday. It said the number of recent incidents of whales being entangled in fishing gear had exceeded a metric that automatically required the delay.

Meanwhile, elevated and potentially dangerous levels of domoic acid off the coast of Northern California also led to a separate delay of the commercial fishing season from the Oregon border to the Mendocino/Sonoma county line.

The original start date for the Dungeness crab fishing season was Nov. 2. The new potential start date for the 2024-25 commercial Dungeness crab fishing season south of Point Arena is Dec. 15.

An evaluation of water quality on Dec. 16 will determine when commercial fishing north of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line will open.

MORE: Bay Area fishermen hopeful for Dungeness crab season after successful testing of new type of traps

Recreational Dungeness crab fishing opened Nov. 2, but recreational crab traps are suspended as the whales make their seasonal migration south to Mexico. Recreational hoop nets, snares, and hand fishing are still allowed.

Surveys by boat and plane on Nov. 7-8 detected at least 56 humpback whales between the Mendocino/Sonoma county line and Pigeon Point, in San Mateo County, which marks one of six fishery zones managed by the CDFW in partnership with federal regulators, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In another zone, from Pigeon Point to Lopez Point in Monterey County, 81 humpbacks were observed by NOAA researchers.

There were 15 known entanglements of humpback whales since the end of the last Dungeness crab fishing season, which was reduced by months, with four entanglements confirmed to have been caused by Dungeness crab traps, according to the CDFW.

Last year's season was delayed three times, finally starting in late January, before being cut short in April for fishermen south of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line. Those north of that line faced depth restrictions.

MORE: Dungeness crab fisherman expand testing of pop-up traps amid CA's continuous early season closures

Matt Juanes, a commercial fisherman who operates out of San Francisco, said he was disappointed, but not surprised by the delay.

"It's very discouraging," he said. "I don't think anyone in the fleet thinks they're going out until after New Year," Juanes said.

He said he understood the CDFW's position but still favored opening the season and predicted that delaying the start would have an impact on the dwindling number of commercial fishermen in California.

"If we have a season like last year, I think we'll be ok, but the volume this year is not what we were seeing last year," Juanes said.

The delay was supported by the nonprofit organization Center for Biological Diversity.

Ben Grundy, a spokesperson for the organization, said the number of whales being entangled was too high not to act.

"These delays are saving humpback whales' lives and protecting their wellbeing," Grundy said. "Trying to swim, feed and raise young while dragging gear is absolutely brutal for these endangered whales, and we can't keep letting entanglements happen."