Crab Season will be delayed for the remainder of the calendar year. According to the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The action was taken to prevent whales from becoming entangled in crab gear. The whales are enroute from Alaska to the warm Pacific waters of Mexico and Central America.
CDFW confirmed four humpback whales were entangled so far this year, with an additional nine humpbacks entangled in unidentified fishing gear that may be California Dungeness crab gear. Of all commercial fishing gears on the West Coast, the California Dungeness crab industry is associated with the most confirmed entanglements, and with recent surveys showing large numbers of whales still feeding off the California coast, CDWD announced it will further postpone the opening of Dungeness Crab Season until 2025.
NOAA fisheries indicate 34 confirmed entanglement off the U.S. West Coast so far in 2024, the highest in the last six years.