Bay Area Crab Season to Close for Conventional Gear on April 30 to Protect Whales
Crabbing will continue with newly authorized, whale-safe pop-up gear starting May 7
Press Release Date: April 17, 2026
Location: Monterey, CA
Contact:
Jamie Karnik | email: jkarnik@oceana.org | tel: 907-635-8722
Today, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial Dungeness crab fishers may no longer fish with conventional traps between Point Arena and Pigeon Point (Zone 3) after April 30 to prevent migrating whales from becoming entangled in the gear’s ropes. The closure includes areas off San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Bodega Bay. It follows closures earlier this year for all areas south of Pigeon Point.
However, all Dungeness crab commercial fishers may continue crabbing through June 30 in those same areas by using newly approved, whale-safe “pop-up gear.” Also called “on-demand” or “ropeless,” this gear reduces the risk of whale entanglements by storing lines and buoys on the seafloor with a string of crab traps until a fishing vessel returns to retrieve the gear. This allows for economically viable crab fishing while reducing the risk of whale, sea turtle, and other entanglements that have sharply increased in recent years and are a serious concern for threatened and endangered wildlife populations.
“This is the dawn of a new day for crab fishing and wildlife in California,” said Oceana’s Senior Scientist and Fishery Innovation Director Geoff Shester, a member of the California Dungeness Crab Working Group. “Extending the spring crab season with pop-up gear helps support an economically vital fishery while preventing whale entanglements.”
“Instead of returning whales spelling the end of crab season, with innovative pop-up gear, whales can safely swim and feed off California’s shores while crabbers can keep bringing in traps filled with fresh Dungeness crab for people to enjoy. It’s a true ‘win-win’ for fisheries and wildlife. We’re grateful to the fishers, state officials, and gear developers who worked hard to make it possible.”
Background:
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), roughly 75% of reported whale entanglements are fatal as whales can drag heavy fishing gear for months, hindering their ability to dive and feed. This can result in malnutrition, starvation, infection to damaged flukes, and even severed appendages and drowning.
According to CDFW, four humpback whales were confirmed entangled in California commercial Dungeness crab gear in 2025, with an additional 10 humpbacks entangled in unidentified fishing gear that may have been California Dungeness crab gear. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries has confirmed six humpback whales and an orca entangled in fishing gear so far in 2026, with two of the humpback whales potentially entangled in California Dungeness crab gear. Despite current regulations, including time and area closures, humpback whale entanglements have remained several times higher than federal law allows.
Crab fishing using conventional gear remains open with gear reductions and a 30-fathom depth restriction in northern California between Point Arena and the Oregon border. With the whale migration fully underway, scientists anticipate more whales off northern California and will continue gathering information to determine additional closures for conventional gear at a future date. Recreational crab fishers may continue fishing with hoop gear, which does not involve vertical lines in the water column, in the designated closure areas.
Of all West Coast fisheries, the California Dungeness crab fishery is most commonly associated with confirmed entanglements, sparking substantial efforts to reduce interactions between the fishing gear and whales. Scientists estimate that only one in five whale entanglements resulting in serious injury or mortality are actually observed.
Whale-safe pop-up fishing gear, also known as “on-demand” gear, is a proven way to prevent whale entanglements while providing additional fishing opportunities. Rather than a line connecting a surface buoy to a trap on the seafloor that can hang in the water column for multiple days, pop-up gear stores the rope and buoy with a string of traps on the seafloor until an acoustic release mechanism is triggered from the fishing boat that sends the buoy to the surface. The gear was tested in 2025 by 12 commercial California Dungeness crab fishermen who had a 98% success rate in gear retrieval and landed a total of 218,000 pounds of crab valued at approximately $1.4 million. This was during a time when waters off central California were closed to conventional crab gear to prevent entanglements.
For more on Oceana’s campaign for whale-safe oceans, visit www.oceana.org/WhaleSafeOceans
—
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 325 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.
