California issues ban on fishing of Dungeness crab with return of humpback whales
By Josh Copitch
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SALINAS, California (KSBW) — With the return of humpback whales to California’s coasts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has implemented a commercial Dungeness crab fishery closure along the California coast.
The affected zones are 3-6 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border).
The closure will go into effect at noon on April 15, 2023, and the take and possession of Dungeness crab will be prohibited.
In order to avoid entanglement risks among whales, the closure has been put in place after several entanglement incidents occurred during the months of March and April of 2022.
Director Charlton H. Bonham of the CDFW said, “The fleet has done an impressive job helping CDFW manage entanglement risk in the commercial fishery and appreciates the high level of involvement to inform the risk assessment process.”
In addition, the Lost and Abandoned Gear Retrieval Program has been authorized to start removing commercial Dungeness crab traps in zones 3-6 starting on April 21, 2023, at 6 a.m.
The recreational fishery is allowed to use crab traps north of Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County, but could be subjected to a trap restriction based on the return of humpback whales foraging off the coast of California.
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