March 28, 2022 โ The commercial Dungeness crab-fishing season started late for the Bay Area and Central Coast regions. And itโs ending early.
On Friday afternoon, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ruled that the season must close April 8 to protect migrating humpback whales. Two whales have recently become entangled in crab-fishing gear, one off the San Mateo County coast and one in Monterey Bay.
Until then, the state is asking all fishermen and mariners to keep an eye out for entangled whales and report them to the U.S. Coast Guard so that a โdisentanglement response teamโ can be sent out to remove the gear.
โThe past few seasons have been difficult for fishing families, communities and businesses, but it is imperative that we strike the right balance between protecting humpback whales and providing fishing opportunity,โ Charlton H. Bonham, CDFW director, said in a statement about his decision.