California’s Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Again, But Could Open in Time for Holidays

California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have delayed the commercial Dungeness crab season statewide for the second time this year and extended a ban on recreational use of certain traps.

There’s still a chance the commercial season for Bay Area crabbers could open earlier than the past few years, though, just in time for holiday dinners. Officials said they plan to reevaluate the region’s waters, which had been scheduled to open on Dec. 1, early next month.

The restrictions are due to increased whale populations and their entanglement in crabbing gear. If the whales have finished passing through on their way south to winter breeding grounds, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said it could open the commercial season — and lift the recreational restrictions — statewide on Dec. 15.

The Dungeness crab season has been delayed six years in a row as humpback and blue whale populations have increased across the state. These whales can get trapped in crabbing gear, causing injuries and even death. In 2020, California implemented rules aimed at protecting these populations, which have led to repeated delays and early closures of the crabbing season.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife said that this year, there had been a high number of entanglements, including four that involved the commercial fishery.

“These delays are saving humpback whales’ lives and protecting their wellbeing,” said Ben Grundy, an oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Trying to swim, feed and raise young while dragging gear is absolutely brutal for these endangered whales, and we can’t keep letting entanglements happen.”

The two northernmost fishing regions in California had been scheduled to open earlier, on Nov. 15, but were delayed because of the abundance of whales as well as high levels of domoic acid, which can be dangerous to ingest in some crabs there.

The rest of the state’s season had been set to open on Dec. 1, but it will remain closed until at least mid-December.

Wildlife officials also announced an extension to a preexisting restriction on crab traps used for recreational fishing. The recreational season opened on Nov. 2, with the caveat that traditional traps couldn’t be used along the Central Coast.

“Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction in these areas,” the statement said.