California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced a season closure in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (CA/OR border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line, 38°46.125’ N latitude) to further reduce the risk of entanglement in crab fishing gear. The closure will go into effect at 6 p.m. on June 20, 2025, at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited. Season closures have already been implemented for Fishing Zones 3-6.
Experimental Fishing Permit (EFP) activity is currently underway in Fishing Zones 3, 4 and 5. EFP landings were first reported after Fishing Zones 4-6 closed for the season on April 16, 2025. The EFP Program fosters innovation and experimentation in California’s commercial and recreational marine fisheries to inform the conservation and sustainable use of the state’s marine resources. Since April 22, 2025, 18 fishers have made 114 landings under an EFP permit, totaling 139,845 pounds for a total ex-vessel value of nearly $1,000,000. The average unit price for these landings was $7.12. The EFPs currently being tested are using pop-up gear (also known as on-demand) and longlining traditional gear. More information about the EFP Program can be found on the Fish and Game Commission EFP webpage and the CDFW EFP webpage.
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 1 and 2 starting at 6 a.m. on June 27, 2025. Individuals should provide monthly reports of retrieved gear to LostGear@wildlife.ca.gov. In addition, CDFW has authorized the Lost and Abandoned Gear Retrieval Program permitholders to begin removing commercial Dungeness crab traps left in the water beginning June 27, 2025, at 6 a.m. in Fishing Zones 1 and 2.
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 Contact:
Kaitlin Talbot, CDFW Communications, kaitlin.talbot@wildlife.ca.gov