California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries. These changes, which will go into effect at 6 p.m. on April 15, 2025, are intended to provide continued fishing opportunities while minimizing entanglement risk as humpback whales return to forage off the coast of California.
The commercial fishery will remain open in Fishing Zones 1, 2, and 3 (California/Oregon state line to Pigeon Point, 37°11′ N. latitude, San Mateo County) under existing trap reductions. A 30-fathom Depth Constraint will also be implemented, prohibiting the use of traps in the commercial fishery in waters seaward of the 30-fathom depth contour as defined by specific waypoints in Title 50 of the Federal Codes of Regulations, Part 660, Section 660.71.
The commercial fishery will close in Fishing Zones 4, 5 and 6 (Pigeon Point, 37°11′ N. latitude, San Mateo County, to the U.S./Mexico border), at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited…