Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing Opportunities Continue with Alternative ‘Pop-Up’ Gear to Protect Whales from Entanglement
Press release from California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Meghan Hertel has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 (Pigeon Point, 37°11′ N Latitude to Point Conception, 34°27′ N Latitude).
These changes include authorizing the use of alternative gear, or pop-up fishing gear, for the first time in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery. Pop-up fishing gear uses buoys and lines attached to cages, just like traditional crab traps, however the buoys and lines of pop-up gear remain coiled on the seafloor. When a commercial fisherman is ready to retrieve their gear, a remote signal triggers the release of the buoy which carries the line to the surface and allows commercial crabbers to locate the trap for immediate removal.
“The use of pop-up fishing gear is an exciting new development in California fisheries management,” said CDFW Director Hertel. “For the first time, pop-up fishing gear will allow one of California’s most iconic fisheries to continue. Dungeness crab will still be brought to market while whales and sea turtles are protected from entanglement in those fishing zones.”
Use of this pop-up fishing gear has been tested extensively over several years to ensure gear can be recovered successfully and now provides additional fishing opportunity after the season is closed to traditional crab trap gear. This action is intended to minimize entanglement risk while continuing fishing opportunities as humpback whales return to forage off the California coast.
The commercial fishery will close on March 27, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Fishing Zones 4 and 5, at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited unless using alternative gear as authorized by the director of CDFW.
The use of approved Alternative Gear in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 will be allowed beginning April 3, 2026, at 7 a.m. There are currently two approved alternative gear types that are authorized for use for all commercial Dungeness crab permit holders. Please visit the Whale Safe Fisheries web page for more information about the specific gear models and configurations that are authorized for use.
The commercial fishery will remain open in Fishing Zones 1, 2, and 3 (California/Oregon border to Pigeon Point) under existing crab trap reductions. Based on historical migration data, CDFW anticipates an increase in whale abundance in the upcoming weeks. Individuals should remain vigilant and be prepared to remove gear quickly, to minimize entanglement risk in these fishing zones.A recreational crab trap restriction will go into effect on March 27, 2026, at 6 p.m., for Fishing Zones 4 and 5. CDFW reminds recreational crabbers that take of Dungeness crab by other methods (including hoop nets and crab snares) is allowed through the close of the season. CDFW also reminds all fishery participants to implement best practices as described in the Best Practices Guide.
Pursuant to Section 132.2(a)(2)(E) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, commercial Dungeness crab vessels are authorized to retrieve an unlimited number of commercial Dungeness crab traps which are lost, damaged, abandoned or otherwise derelict in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 starting at 6 a.m. on April 3, 2026. CDFW requests that individuals retrieving gear pursuant to Section 132.2(a)(2)(E) report their activities to [email protected]. Any vessel operating or transiting in an open Fishing Zone may not possess more than six traps belonging to another vessel, pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 132.2(a)(2)(A).
CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in early April 2026. For more information related to the risk assessment process or trap gear retrieval, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
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Persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodation to participate in public meetings or other CDFW activities are invited to contact CDFW’s Accessibility Coordinator in the CRO Office at (916) 902-5577, or send an email to [email protected]. Reasonable Accommodation requests for facility and/or meeting accessibility should be received at least 21 days prior to the event. Requests for American Sign Language Interpreters should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event, and requests for Real-Time Captioning at least four weeks prior to the event. These timeframes are to help ensure that the requested accommodation is met. If a request for an accommodation has been submitted but due to circumstances is no longer needed, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator immediately.
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More liberal nonsense as the fishing regulations continue to decimate the fleet and small coastal city economies. The new salmon regulations are another example.The new director is anti hunting and fishing as is the entire fish and game commission.California dreaming is a thing of the past.
Naah, it was the Asian fishing fleets.
IMHO:
This was ‘tried’ back in the late 1960’s and 70’s.
Not due to whales back then… they wanted ‘buried’ or lost crab traps to be ‘deactivated’.
(Open the trap door.) Lost crab traps continue to fish… over and over and over, resulting in adult crab mortality.
DFG Sacramento proposed having electronically trap lids released after the season.
They would go out in a patrol boat and broadcast a signal to release the traps.
Cost was huge. Reliability was nil. Due to commercial fish organizations opposition they abandoned it.
Local HSC professor had another solution. Small plastic housing that was held together by a slow-dissolving tablet. Tablet dissolved and released the trap door.
Worked fine, cheap cost (pennies)… and was rejected. (Of course).
Our ‘new’ solution. Will continue to increase the cost of Crab… which is already far beyond what the ‘common citizens’ can afford.
Crab will be the new ‘caviar’… and reserved for wealthy SF/LA residents.
Meanwhile… the dead whales continue to litter our beaches !
Hmm…Geeze… I haven’t seen a dead entangled whale…
Oh well…
You forgot the 1. cost of the devices. 2. The cost of some type of new crab buoys that will not be crushed by pressures at depths. The current buoys will not float and will be susceptible to strong currents holding them underwater. That means they will be suspended under the surface making them a menace to everything. 3. If the releases work, the lines coming out will become tangled coming to the surface and suspending in a tangled mess under the surface and becoming a menace to everything. 4. If the releases don’t work they leave a crab pot on the bottom and the fisherman out about $200 to replace it. 5. I’ll bet the crab fishermen could add a few more. “Save the Whales”
Do Californians think it would be reasonable to prohibit driving on highways where deer are being hit by cars and trucks ? Most deer populations are healthy and all most all humpback whale populations are healthy. By NOAA and NMFS and FWS they are growing at 8% a year, with two groups of whales that mate in Mexico and Central America growing at 4 % per year. Those two groups are why we are being regulated out of existence. The 4 % is in question, the what they call a DPS or distinct population segment , is generally known to not travel further north than Point Arena. As their population grows that will probably change aka “adapt”,due to over abundance and the need to spread out. Meanwhile the “Rural Cleansing “ of coastal communities continues.