The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open on Jan. 5 along most of California’s coast.
Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6, the zones from the Sonoma–Mendocino county line to the U.S.–Mexico border will be open under a 50 percent trap reduction. This is to reduce the number of humpback whales getting caught in fishing lines.
“My action today strikes a balance between the needs of the fishery and the needs of California’s marine species. Reducing the number of traps in the water is a successful management measure we have utilized before,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham in the announcement on Dec. 20….