California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced that the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season will open on January 5th along most of the California coast.
Fishing zones 3, 4, 5, and 6, which stretch from the Sonoma-Mendocino county line to the California-Mexico border, will open with a 50% reduction in the number of fishing nets to mitigate entanglement risks for humpback whales.
CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham stated in a December 20th announcement that reducing the number of fishing nets in the water has been a successful management measure previously adopted by the department.
Due to the inability to conduct industry-sponsored meat quality testing, the opening date for fishing zones 1 and 2, extending from the California-Oregon border to the Sonoma-Mendocino county line, will be further delayed.
These two zones are set to open for fishing on January 15th with a 25% reduction in fishing nets.
In recent years, delays in the opening of crab season have occurred due to increased incidents of whales and sea turtles getting entangled in fishing gear. The California government has allocated over $6 million through CDFW and the California Ocean Protection Council to purchase electronic monitoring devices, develop new risk assessment tools, and expand the use of alternative testing fishing gear to address these risks.
According to the department, this year’s fishing season opening builds upon over five years of efforts, including nearly 150 meetings of the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, over 50 risk assessments, and aerial surveys covering over 20,000 miles of the California coast.
Additionally, starting from January 2, 2025, CDFW will lift the temporary recreational crabbing restrictions along the northern California coast from the Sonoma-Mendocino county line to Monterey County.
Historically, the holiday season coincides with the peak of Dungeness crab fishing, and although the season has been shortened, it remains a lucrative business in California, generating nearly $45 million in revenue annually.