Dungeness crab season to start on North Coast Jan. 5; rest of California coast on hold
SACRAMENTO – State officials announced Wednesday that the commercial Dungeness crab season will start off the North Coast in early January, but the season remains on hold for the rest of the California coast.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the fishery will open from the Oregon state line to the Sonoma-Mendocino County line (Fishing Zones 1 and 2) beginning Jan. 5, 2024 at 12:01 a.m., with a pre-soak to begin on Jan. 2 at 8:01 a.m.
Meanwhile the commercial fishery from Sonoma County south to the Mexico border will remain closed due to what the agency described as "elevated numbers" of humpback whales in the water and concerns about entanglement. Officials said an assessment is expected to take place on or around Jan. 11 to determine if the Dungeness season could open.
Crab fishermen have been dealing with delays for over a month due to the migration.
"We support the decision by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that balances the financial considerations of fishermen while ensuring that whales off California can safely complete their seasonal migrations," Ashley Blacow-Draeger of the conservation group Oceana said in a statement.
Recreational crab traps also remain prohibited in Zones 3 and 4, which stretches from the Sonoma / Mendocino line down to Lopez Point in southern Monterey County.
Additional information about closures can be found on the CDFW website.