California officials delay the start of commercial Dungeness crab fishery season. Here’s why

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday announced that while recreational Dungeness crab season will open on Nov. 2 with trap restrictions, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery will be delayed from opening in order to protect humpback whales from being entangled.

Recreational crabbers will be prohibited from using traps between the Sonoma-Mendocino county line and Lopez Point, in Monterey County — due to the presence of humpbacks in the area. Traps are allowed in other zones along the coast, as explained by Fish and Wildlife.

The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line had planned to open Nov. 15.

“However, the season opener has been delayed in those zones due to the high abundance of humpback whales and large number of recent entanglements,” according to Fish and Wildlife.

According to the department, the next risk assessment will take place Nov. 15, which will likely inform the potential for the statewide commercial Dungeness crab fishery to open by Dec. 1, as well as determining further modifications to the recreational trap restrictions.