Central California Dungeness Crab Season to Close for Conventional Gear to Protect Whales
Commercial fishing with newly authorized, whale-safe pop-up gear will commence April 3 after conventional season closes March 27
Press Release Date: March 13, 2026
Location: Monterey, CA
Contact:
Jamie Karnik | email: jkarnik@oceana.org | tel: Jamie Karnik
Today, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fishers may no longer fish with conventional traps south of Pigeon Point (Zones 4 and 5) after March 27 for the remainder of the season to prevent migrating whales from becoming entangled with the gear’s ropes.
However, for the first time ever, any Dungeness crab commercial fisher may continue operating for the remainder of the season through June 30 in those areas with newly approved, whale-safe pop-up gear starting April 3. The announcement covers all fishing grounds south of Pigeon Point, including Monterey Bay and Morro Bay.
This newly authorized gear, also known as “on-demand” 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 the gear entangling whales, sea turtles, and other wildlife. Whale entanglements have sharply increased in recent years and are a serious concern for the recovery of threatened and endangered populations.
“For the first time in years, crabbers will be able to keep fishing into the spring and early summer while at the same time whales can safely swim and feed off California’s shores without risk of becoming entangled in crab gear,” said Oceana’s Senior Scientist and Fishery Innovation Director Geoff Shester, a member of the California Dungeness Crab Working Group.
“The authorization of whale-safe pop-up gear is cause for celebration and the result of years of hard work by crabbers, gear manufacturers, CDFW Marine Region, CDFW Law Enforcement Division, the California Ocean Protection Council, and others to find a solution that fits both fishers and whales. Extending the spring crab season by allowing pop-up gear will help strengthen this important fishery while preventing deadly entanglements that have tragically killed too many whales and jeopardized the recovery of endangered whale populations and Pacific leatherback sea turtles. We’re optimistic that this win-win solution is only the start of years of success for crab fishers, whale lovers and all who care about our oceans.”
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 be California Dungeness crab gear. NOAA Fisheries confirmed there have been three humpback whales and an orca entangled in fishing gear off California 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 in northern California, including from Half Moon Bay and San Francisco north to the Oregon border. With the whale migration back to California fully underway, scientists anticipate more whales off San Francisco and northern California in the coming weeks. For areas north of Pigeon Point that remain open to conventional gear, CDFW is closely watching entanglement risk and is planning to conduct additional whale surveys. The next risk assessment is scheduled on April 1 to determine if further areas will be closed to conventional traps.
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 $14 million. This was during a time when waters off central California were closed to conventional crab gear to prevent entanglements.
Recreational crab fishers may continue fishing with hoop gear, which does not involve vertical lines in the water column, in the designated closure areas after March 27.
For more on Oceana’s campaign for whale-safe oceans, visit www.oceana.org/WhaleSafeOceans
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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.
