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Dungeness Crab Season Delayed (Again)

Commercial crab season delayed until December 16 to protect whales still in the fishing grounds
By - posted 12/1/2020 No Comment

Thanks to SF Gate for letting us know that the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season has been delayed (again). The season has a new start date of December 16, 2020 – but even that date is tentative.

“Our hope is both quality testing and additional marine life survey data will support a unified statewide opener on Dec. 16, just in time to have crab for the holidays and New Year” – CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham

The season, which was supposed to being on November 15th was originally pushed back to December 1st to help protect whales off the coast from being caught in fishing gear. Last week the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the whales are still present in the fishing grounds.

The department is planning additional aerial surveys for the first week of December to inform a risk assessment in advance of Dec. 16. When the data indicates the whales have migrated out of the fishing grounds, they stand ready to open the commercial season.

What about recreational crab fishing?
The season being delayed only appears to apply to commercial fishing. According to the Current California Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations for San Francisco (last updated 11/20/20), the recreational season for Dungeness Crab fishing is ongoing (Nov. 7, 2020 to June 30, 2021) with a daily bag limit of 10 crab and a minimum size limit of 5¾ inches.

Learn More: SF Gate | California Department of Fish and Wildlife