CDFW News

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing Opportunities Continue with Alternative ‘Pop-Up’ Gear to Protect Whales from Entanglement

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:16:33 GMT

Recreational Crab Trap Restriction Goes Into Effect in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 (Pigeon Point, 37°11' N Latitude to Point Conception, 34°27' N Latitude)

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Meghan Hertel has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 (Pigeon Point, 37°11' N Latitude to Point Conception, 34°27' N Latitude).

These changes include authorizing the use of alternative gear, or pop-up fishing gear, for the first time in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery. Pop-up fishing gear uses buoys and lines attached to cages, just like traditional crab traps, however the buoys and lines of pop-up gear remain coiled on the seafloor. When a commercial fisherman is ready to retrieve their gear, a remote signal triggers the release of the buoy which carries the line to the surface and allows commercial crabbers to locate the trap for immediate removal.

“The use of pop-up fishing gear is an exciting new development in California fisheries management,” said CDFW Director Hertel. “For the first time, pop-up fishing gear will allow one of California’s most iconic fisheries to continue. Dungeness crab will still be brought to market while whales and sea turtles are protected from entanglement in those fishing zones.”

Use of this pop-up fishing gear has been tested extensively over several years to ensure gear can be recovered successfully and now provides additional fishing opportunity after the season is closed to traditional crab trap gear. This action is intended to minimize entanglement risk while continuing fishing opportunities as humpback whales return to forage off the California coast.

The commercial fishery will close on March 27, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Fishing Zones 4 and 5, at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited unless using alternative gear as authorized by the director of CDFW

The use of approved Alternative Gear in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 will be allowed beginning April 3, 2026, at 7 a.m. There are currently two approved alternative gear types that are authorized for use for all commercial Dungeness crab permit holders. Please visit the Whale Safe Fisheries web page for more information about the specific gear models and configurations that are authorized for use.

The commercial fishery will remain open in Fishing Zones 1, 2, and 3 (California/Oregon border to Pigeon Point) under existing crab trap reductions. Based on historical migration data, CDFW anticipates an increase in whale abundance in the upcoming weeks. Individuals should remain vigilant and be prepared to remove gear quickly, to minimize entanglement risk in these fishing zones.

A recreational crab trap restriction will go into effect on March 27, 2026, at 6p.m., for Fishing Zones 4 and 5. CDFW reminds recreational crabbers that take of Dungeness crab by other methods (including hoop nets and crab snares) is allowed through the close of the season. CDFW also reminds all fishery participants to implement best practices as described in the Best Practices Guide.

Pursuant to Section 132.2(a)(2)(E) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, commercial Dungeness crab vessels are authorized to retrieve an unlimited number of commercial Dungeness crab traps which are lost, damaged, abandoned or otherwise derelict in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 starting at 6 a.m. on April 3, 2026. CDFW requests that individuals retrieving gear pursuant to Section 132.2(a)(2)(E) report their activities to WhaleSafeFisheries@wildlife.ca.gov. Any vessel operating or transiting in an open Fishing Zone may not possess more than six traps belonging to another vessel, pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 132.2(a)(2)(A).

CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in early April 2026. For more information related to the risk assessment process or trap gear retrieval, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/crab.

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Media Contacts:
Ryan Bartling, CDFW Marine Region, (415) 238-2638
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open in Humboldt County

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:08:02 GMT

The Director has declared that the last closed area of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Humboldt County [southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41o 17.6' N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude)] will open at 12:01 a.m., January 30 to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period beginning at 8:01 a.m. on January 27 under a 15% gear reduction. State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab no longer poses a significant human health risk due to domoic acid and recommended lifting the delay in the area. With this announcement, all areas of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery are open.

The Fair Start Provision is triggered when there are commercial season delays along the West Coast for Dungeness crab. This provision prohibits vessels that fished in another area prior to the opening of a delayed area from fishing, landing and transiting in the newly opened area for a period of 30 days. This will apply to the fishing area that is scheduled to open January 30 and vessels subject to Fair Start may not begin fishing in this area until March 1.

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for the current 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season./p>

The latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid will be updated on CDFW’s fishery closure information and health advisories website or by calling CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.

The latest domoic acid test results for Dungeness crab are posted on the CDPH’s Domoic Acid website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs).

For the latest consumption warnings, please check for any Dungeness crab health advisory information on the CDPH's shellfish advisories page or by calling the CDPH’s Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.

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Media Contacts:
Christy Juhasz, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 292-2480
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open in Portions of Northern California, One Area Further Delayed Due to Public Health Hazard

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:58:27 GMT

After delays due to entanglement risk, crab meat quality issues, and elevated levels of domoic acid, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open in portions of northern California on Jan. 15 under a 15% gear reduction (PDF). The commercial fishery will open in the following areas at 12:01 a.m., January 15, 2026 preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period beginning at 8:01 a.m. on January 12, 2026

California/Oregon border (42° 0.0’ N. latitude) to the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6' N. latitude), and
Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38° 46.125’ N. latitude).

This follows the Jan. 5 opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (south of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line, 38° 46.125’ N. latitude).

In one area ;of northern California, state health agencies determined that Dungeness crab have unhealthy levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin, and recommended delaying the opening of the commercial fishery in that area. Following this recommendation (PDF), the Acting Director of California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) ordered a delay in the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock State Marine Protected Areas (41o 17.6' N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude).

Please see the CDFW Director’s Declaration (PDF) regarding allowances for transiting, possessing, and landing Dungeness crab within this closure area.

The Fair Start Provision is also triggered when there are commercial season delays along the West Coast for Dungeness crab. This provision prohibits vessels that fished in another area prior to the opening of a delayed area from fishing in the newly opened area for a period of 30 days. This will apply to the fishing areas that are scheduled to open Jan. 15 and vessels subject to Fair Start may not begin fishing in these areas until Feb 14. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for the current 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season.

The delayed opening of commercial Dungeness crab fishing in this area shall remain in effect until the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in consultation with the State Public Health Officer of California Department of Public Health (CDPH), determines that domoic acid no longer poses a significant risk to public health. If a determination is made that any part of the delay should be lifted, announcements will be made as soon as possible. ;Pursuant to Section 5523 of the Fish and Game Code, the CDFW Director may provide a minimum of 72-hour notice to the fleet when trap gear can be set.

Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia, a naturally occurring single-celled, marine alga. Domoic acid can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates and sometimes fish without the organism becoming ill themselves. At low levels, domoic acid exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and, in severe cases, death.

The latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid will be updated on CDFW’s fishery closure information and health advisories website or by calling CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.

The latest domoic acid test results for Dungeness crab are posted on the CDPH’s Domoic Acid website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs).

For the latest consumption warnings, please check for any Dungeness crab health advisory information on the CDPH's shellfish advisories page or by calling the CDPH’s Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.

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Media Contacts:
Christy Juhasz, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 292-2480
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Recreational Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open in Last Closed Area of Humboldt County After Delay Due to Public Health Risks

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:48:43 GMT

The last area of the recreational Dungeness crab fishery in Humboldt County opened today after being delayed due to elevated levels of domoic acid.

State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in waters from the southern boundary of the Reading Rock Marine Protected Areas (41° 17.6’ N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10.0’ N. latitude) can open. While the area is open to fishing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory to not eat crab viscera (also known as guts) and to clean crab prior to cooking.

Following the recommendation (PDF) from state health agencies, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Acting Director Valerie Termini declared (PDF) the recreational Dungeness crab fishery open in the remaining delayed area of Humboldt County.

Due to the potential for whales in this area to become entangled in trap buoy lines, Dungeness crab may currently only be taken with hoop nets, crab snares, or by hand in accordance with the declared trap prohibition in RAMP Fishing Zone 1. Effective 8:01 a.m., January 2, 2026, crab trap restrictions in this area will be lifted and all recreational gear types may be used statewide.

After being delayed due to entanglement risk, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38°46.125’ N. latitude) to Point Conception (34°27’ N. latitude)) will open on January 5, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 40% trap reduction. The trap reduction is expected to reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by decreasing the number of vertical lines attached to traps in the water. The Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (California/Oregon border (42° N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line) remains delayed because of the inability to conduct meat quality testing due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Pending results of ongoing domoic acid testing, the season will open on January 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 15% trap reduction.

For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit CDFW's Invertebrates of Interest: Crab web page.

For the latest information on domoic acid, health advisories and season closures, please see the following:

CDFW:

Fishery closure information and health advisories page
Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line: (831) 649-2883

CDPH:

Domoic Acid(opens in new tab) results website (subsection Analytical Data – Crabs)
Shellfish advisories page for latest consumption warnings
Biotoxin information Line: (510) 412-4643 or (800) 553-4133

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Media Contacts:
Christy Juhasz, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 292-2480
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Open January 5 in Central California; Recreational Crab Trap Restrictions Lifting Jan. 2

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 13:28:22 GMT

Northern Commercial Fishery to Remain Closed Until at Least January 15 Due to Crab Quality Testing and Domoic Acid

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area (Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38°46.125’ N. latitude) to Point Conception (34°27’ N. latitude)) beginning January 5, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., with pre-soak to begin on January 2, 2026, at 8:01 a.m. This area (Fishing Zones 3, 4 and 5) will be subject to a 40% trap reduction. The trap reduction is expected to reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by decreasing the number of vertical lines attached to traps in the water.

The Dungeness crab season in the Northern Management Area (Fishing Zones 1 and 2, California/Oregon border (42° N. latitude) to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line) will be further delayed pursuant to Fish and Game Code Section 8276.2 (PDF) because of the inability to conduct meat quality testing due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Pending results of ongoing domoic acid testing, the season will open on Jan. 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., under a 15% trap reduction in both Fishing Zones. A pre-soak period will begin on January 12, 2026, at 8:01 a.m. The crab quality delay triggers the fair start provision (PDF) under Fish and Game Code Section 8279.1. Under fair start a vessel is prohibited from taking, possessing onboard or landing crab in an area previously delayed for a period of 30 days from the date of the opening if that vessel previously participated in other commercial Dungeness crab fishing areas (including those in Oregon and Washington) during the same season.

Opening the commercial crab fishing season under a trap reduction strikes a balance between the needs of the commercial fishery and the protection of humpback whales which remain in areas that overlap with key fishing areas off the California coast.

“Setting the opening date of the Dungeness crab fishery is never easy. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery is inherently complex, and careful consideration is required to ensure we are supporting California’s fishing communities while also reducing risk of entanglement of whales and sea turtles off our coast,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “CDFW is grateful for the collaborative effort between commercial and recreational fishermen, environmental groups, scientists and agency partners that support our work in managing this iconic West Coast fishery.”

“The commercial fishing fleet has always been both a producer of sustainable seafood that feeds our communities and coastal economies, and a steward of the ocean we depend on for our lives and livelihoods. Hard work and sacrifices by the fleet have reduced entanglements even as whale populations have grown, and we appreciate CDFW for recognizing that progress and responding by opening the season with additional opportunity,” said Lisa Damrosch, Executive Director Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “This opening reflects a careful balance and shows what is possible through shared effort to thread the needle within the system we are operating under. We also want to thank the Director for his leadership and many years of service at CDFW and wish him success in his next role.”

Any commercial Dungeness crab vessel fishing in or transiting Fishing Zones, regardless of fishing location, is subject to the 15% or 40% trap reduction based on the area transited. Commercial Dungeness crab vessels operating in all Fishing Zones are expected to comply with the restrictions detailed in the Director’s Declaration (PDF) that includes additional information about this gear reduction.

CDFW is also lifting the temporary recreational crab trap restriction beginning January 2, 2026, at 8:01 a.m., between the California/Oregon border and Cape Mendocino (40°10’ N. latitude) and between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Lopez Point, Monterey County (36° N. latitude) (Fishing Zones 1, 3 and 4).

CDFW encourages both the commercial and recreational crab fisheries to implement best fishing practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide (PDF), and avoid setting any fishing gear in areas where whales or sea turtles are present. In addition, the commercial fishery is encouraged to remain vigilant for lost or abandoned gear throughout the fishing season. Permitted commercial Dungeness crab vessels are allowed to retrieve up to six derelict commercial Dungeness crab traps per fishing trip pursuant to Section 132.2, Title 14, of the California Code of Regulations. Derelict fishing gear may also be reported through CalTIP.

For the latest information on domoic acid, health advisories and season closures please see the following:

CDFW:

Fishery closure information and health advisories website
Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line: (831) 649-2883

CDPH:

Shellfish advisories page for latest consumption warnings
Biotoxin information line: (510) 412-4643 or (800) 553-4133

CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in mid-January 2026. For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab. see Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for more information about the commercial fishery .

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Media Contacts:
Ryan Bartling, CDFW Marine Region, (415) 238-2638
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858