November 5, 2024 — The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season in California has been delayed once again and local fishermen like Tom Capen are calling it the “new norm.”
Although the delay this time didn’t come as a surprise to Capen, he says it’s still a serious setback.
“The price of fuel is doubled, tripled and the price of bait is doubled, so it’s hard to make it now,” Capen says.
The delay affects Fishing Zones 3 and 4, which includes the Central Coast. California Fish and Wildlife made the call in an effort to protect humpback whales from potential trap entanglement.