Crab Season to End Three Months Early to Protect Whales and Sea Turtles From Entanglement
Press release from the Department of Fish and Wildlife:
Californians will be pleased to know that Dungeness crab will be caught off the coast with greater care for endangered wildlife under a settlement announced by the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA).
The legal settlement protects whales and sea turtles from entanglement in commercial Dungeness crab gear. The Center for Biological Diversity sued CDFW in October 2017 after a drastic increase in the number of whale entanglements off the West Coast.
“As I’ve said many times, no one wants whale entanglements to happen,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This agreement represents hours of intense negotiation to help ensure they don’t happen while supporting the resiliency of the crab fishery in the long run. I am thankful for the leadership of the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations who realized something needed to be done together.”
“This is great news for whales and sea turtles fighting extinction off California’s coast,” said Kristen Monsell, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney. “The settlement will reduce serious threats from crab gear to these beautiful and highly endangered animals. This agreement is a turning point that gets us closer to zero entanglements and a healthy ocean.”
The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity against CDFW (Center for Biological Diversity v. Bonham) in federal court in San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, which represents crabbers, intervened in the lawsuit.
The settlement, subject to court approval, creates a comprehensive approach to the problem of whale entanglements. It expedites state regulation, ensures stakeholder input from the Dungeness crab Fishing Gear Working Group and formalizes a first-ever commitment by CDFW to pursue a federal permit for protecting endangered species. While these steps are executed, the settlement calls for this year’s crab season to end three months early and prescribes protective measures for future springtime fishing seasons, when the greatest number of whales are present off the California coast.
In November 2018, CDFW announced it would seek a federal permit under the Endangered Species Act to address protected species interactions with the crab fishery. Obtaining a permit and developing a conservation plan as part of that process can take years, so the settlement spells out interim protections.
“This settlement represents the path back to normality for California’s crab fishery with built-in protections for whales and crab fishing operations under the Endangered Species Act,” said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of PCFFA. “The past several years have been extraordinarily challenging for fishing families, and the actions we’re taking here are no exception. But in the end, we’re going to emerge together with a resilient, prosperous, and protective fishery that will continue to feed California and the nation.”
Details of the settlement can be found at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=166146.
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I remember one really good crab season, where the crab buyers stopped buying crabs before the season’s end, due to that the crabs started to molt their shells, causing the picking crews to have to work through two layers of shell, and only to end up with half the yield of crab meat.
It started about 3 months late now it’s going to end 3 months early I know a lot of the commercial crab people are saying that they are ready to end their season anyhow this year and due to ocean acidification it seems we might start having problems with the crabs and all crustaceans in Washington they start their oysters in tanks where they could monitor the pH they had stopped developing because of ocean acidification brought about from a long time of fossil fuel use and fertilizers add a amount also
Interesting
I just wish that every time dfw closes a season or shortens one significantly, that have to lay off a equivalent amount of their staff. Close abalone, lay off 2wardens that used to spend their time driving up and down highway 1. Close bear season, lay off 2 wardens. Shorten crab season, lay off the warden that checks on the crabbers til season opens back up. Close all fishing in the ocean for the winter, well you don’t need a revenue enforcer for that anymore do you?
That doesn’t make any sense Mike.
So every time they make a rule they eliminate the ability to enforce it? Sounds like a poachers delight.
DFW can’t. Someone has to tow the wood chipper in the off season.
So your problem with cdfw is that you believe they are overstaffed?
Overstaffed and overfunded and a overly inflated god complex, just for starters. I’ve never meet anyone who has actually dealt with them who felt any different.
Finally waking up to some good news! Finally something about the 7.9 billion people on this planet caring about the animals they are killing off more than their selfish wants and needs. It’s going to be a good day!!!!
You do realize, just by you being alive, you are part of the problem? Making a living is a far cry from “selfish wants and needs”. Please tell us where your food comes from.
He eats cow pies!
???!
When the grey whales migrate south to Baja each Winter for calving and breeding, they journey pretty far off-shore, but when they return to Alaska in the Spring they hug the shore because the calves are with them and it’s safer, except of course for the boat traffic and fishing gear. If anyone is interested in this amazing species read “Eye of the Whale” by Dick Russell.
But they are seldom inside thirty fathoms and most late season crabbing is done right off the beach
I have seen a “blue planet” type event at Big Lagoon, where the whale was in the surf zone, mouth open, moving swiftly, and gobbling up smelt. it was awesome. I see the biggest problem with the commercial industry is the derelict pots and the rubber waste that ends up on the beach. the agate beach cove right now is littered with waste, the most I have seen in a long time. the way from eureka to the cape is a navigational hazard at 15 fathoms, it gets better after the Eel but there are 100s of derelict pots to avoid. better stewardship is needed, but there’s not enough money in it to be responsible.
When does whale season close?
I think it closed decades ago when we almost wiped them out.
At least most of the commercial crabbing has stopped by this time every year.
nothing but females and shorts out there right now. fishing the surf zone in the spring is something very few commercial ops do. I noticed lots of gear in the surf at Big lagoon right now that will end up on the beach.
Not worth burning the fuel. The pots do get placed closure to the beach as the year winds down.
Don’t worry! It’s just that the ocean is dying. No cause for concern because we don’t live there. We’ll be just fine!
My prayers for all the local crab fishermen. They are the endangered species, not the damn whales!!!!
I have a small boat it takes the whole season to make a living. From April 15 to the end me and my family pay are bills. We don’t know what we’re going to do now. Some one should give us a option to pay are bills.
what do you do to pay the bills during the other 5 months of the year?
Prawn fishing but it will not open in till there eggs drop in June . And it just pays some of the bills.
Do like the poor pot farmers did and go ask the county to help you out. Maybe the county can take some of your taxes and give you a loan.
Grow a big Garden food vegetables like the old homesteaders is there commercial bottom fishing happening this time of year maybe get a job doing what you can get by I know it’s not easy
Why is nobody blaming trump. Since there was no conclusion ???????you all will have to find something else????cnn is a complete joke worth turning on just to see their faces. What a waste of few years for them. They don’t know what to do now????sooooo good. Here we go
Build a wall make the poor and elderly pay. Going to start a war fund the military today.
Double edged sword. Kudos for trying to save these beautiful species. But what of thje fishermen who are trying to make a living? The fishing industry, as with the timber industry, is all but history around here. The only so called industry we have is pot. And that won’t amount to much. Very sad. Oh I forgot we have the homeless and drug addicted industry too.
I have been sport crabbing in less than 20 fathoms for more than 40 years. I have never seen a whale or turtle tangled in my lines, or any other sport crabber’s line in all those years. I have never even heard rumors of tangled whales or turtles in our shallow waters. I have seen hundreds of whales but never a tangled one. It seems to me that DFG is using overkill, as they always do, in this situation. Apparently no one at Fish and Game has the ability to use common sense when dealing with any situation. It’s always ready, fire, aim with those folks.
Bruce, just last year, I believe, there was a whale Tangled in crab gear just off the bar at Humboldt Bay
Is there an actual season end date?
I understand there needs to be measures to protect the whales, but I definitely feel for the crabbers, especially the smaller boats. Especially with such a bad start to the season this year. Ruff. It’s too bad a better solution couldn’t have been worked out. The whales are definitely in a hard place this year. There was an article about whales around the Golden Gate, closer than usual, and a few appeared to be emaciated. So, they are coming closer to shore than usually to find food… Hopefully next year will be a better season for everyone one…