Monday, December 23, 2024

Mendocino Coast’s Dungeness crab season faces extended delay

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A crab-filled crab pot [Photo from CDFW]

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced that the Dungeness crab season in Mendocino County’s Northern Management Area (Zones 1 and 2) will remain closed until Jan. 15, 2025, due to delays in the required industry-sponsored crab meat quality testing.

A press release from CDFW states the commercial crab fishery will open at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 15, with a 25% reduction in the number of traps that can be used in these areas. A pre-soak period, during which crab traps can be set in the water but not hauled, will begin on Jan. 12 at 8:01 a.m.

To the south, from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border (Zones 3-6), the crab season will open on Jan. 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., with a 50% reduction in traps, starting with a pre-soak on Jan. 2 at 8:01 a.m.

The delay to the northern season follows several years of late openings due to concerns about protecting marine life, particularly whales, which are at risk of becoming entangled in crab traps. Last year, the northern fishing zones opened on Jan. 5, while central zones were delayed until Jan. 18. Despite these delays, the Dungeness crab fishery in California remains one of the state’s most profitable, averaging $45 million annually.

“Opening the Dungeness crab fishery is a difficult decision that requires balancing the need to protect marine life with the needs of the fishing community,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Reducing the number of traps in the water is one way we can minimize the risk to marine mammals while allowing the fishery to open as early as possible.”

This year’s season opener follows more than five years of research and collaboration to reduce the risk of whale entanglement, including over 150 meetings and more than 50 risk assessments. Commercial fishers are required to reduce the number of traps used by 25% in the northern zones and 50% in the southern zones. The CDFW also encourages fishers to retrieve lost traps and report any derelict gear.

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The temporary restriction on recreational crab traps from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point in Monterey County will be lifted on Jan. 2, 2025, at 8:01 a.m. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery and regulations, visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page and Dungeness crab resources.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. One more big step in California’s environmental plan to eliminate all commercial fishing, fishermen and their families. Public, enjoy your polluted crab from China, shrimp raised in the filthy ponds and rivers of South East Asia, and, of course, the piece de resistance, pen raised salmon raised in their own bacteria and viruses, fed soy bean byproducts, and dyed orange for your enjoyment.

    piee de la resistene

  2. geez.

    anyone been to Safeway lately?. been watching for 4 years the destruction of poultry, pork, beef and fish production on a national level and monitoring the related cooler bins at the store with $10 eggs and $25/ 5 pack of chicken breast et al. anyone seeing a pattern here? they want us to starve to death pure and simple. but heh i guess they have a soft spot in their dark hearts. witness the cooler bin loaded with Gortons frozen fish sticks trucked in all the way from Gloucester, MA

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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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