Cal coast to close Dungeness crab fishing to protect whales

Alan Riquelmy

(CN) — Another portion of California’s coast will close to Dungeness crab fishing starting May 1, with state officials citing the presence of humpback whales in their Monday decision.

The area between the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Pigeon Point, which includes the San Francisco Bay, will close at 6 p.m. May 1 to commercial fishers. Additionally, the use of crab traps by recreational fishers in what’s called Zone 3 will be prohibited at that time.

The state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement the closure is meant to reduce entanglement risk to the whales as they forage off the Golden State’s coast.

“On April 6, 2025, a … aerial survey observed 23 humpback whales in Fishing Zone 3,” Charlton H. Bonham, director of the department, wrote in his order. “Additionally, on April 8, 2025, a Cascadia Research vessel survey observed 53 humpback whales within Fishing Zone 3.”

The department also noted in an assessmanet an April 14 confirmed entanglement of a humpback whale in commercial Dungeness crab gear in Monterey.

All active commercial crab traps must be removed by May 1. Dungeness crab fishers have until 6 a.m. May 8 to retrieve any lost, damaged or abandoned crab traps.

The May 1 deadline for Zone 3 doesn’t stop Dungeness crab fishing entirely in California. While a closure from Pigeon Point to the U.S./Mexico border occurred earlier this month, commercial fisheries remain open from the California/Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line.

Commercial Dungeness crab season started on Jan. 5 for most of the state, with the remaining areas opening for crab fishing later that month.

Ben Grundy, oceans campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity, referred to the confirmed whale entanglement while arguing in favor of using a different kind of gear.

“Even when entanglements aren’t lethal, they can torture animals, leave scars and harm their ability to breed,” Grundy said. “The numbers make it crystal clear that the Dungeness crab fishery is entangling far too many whales and there needs to be urgent action before more animals are maimed or killed. California must authorize the use of pop-up gear immediately, which would be a win-win solution for all.”

Many fisheries use static lines that can wrap around whales’ mouths, fins and tails, leading to whales drowning, losing flippers or dying because of exhaustion.

Pop-up traps use bags or buoys triggered by remote or sensor; traps float to the surface and lines aren’t needed.

In fact, the department in its Monday decision stated that alternative gear is allowed in all closed fishing zones. However, there’s a catch: California has not yet authorized alternative gear types for Dungeness crab fishing.

According to the department, managing the Dungeness crab industry while protecting marine life like whales and sea turtles is a joint effort involving fishers, environmental groups, scientists and agency partners. Over the past five years, the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group met almost 150 times, performing over 50 risk assessments and aerial surveys covering over 20,000 miles of coastline.

Additionally, California has put over $6 million into addressing entanglements, which went toward the purchase and installation of electronic monitoring technology for fishery gear. The money also went toward tools to evaluate risk and expand testing of alternative gear.

The department's next risk assessment is tentatively set for around May 2.