California Protects Endangered Whales by Reducing Harmful Fishing Gear and Delaying Dungeness Crab Season - Oceana USA

Victory | January 11, 2024

California Protects Endangered Whales by Reducing Harmful Fishing Gear and Delaying Dungeness Crab Season

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California first delayed the opening of the 2023-2024 commercial Dungeness crab fishery and then reduced the number of crab traps that can be deployed in the water off the central and southern California coast by 50%. These measures were implemented to protect humpback whales from becoming entangled in commercial crab fishing gear. They came in response to excessive whale entanglements and a high number of humpback whale sightings, plus the discovery of a critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle found entangled and drowned in commercial Dungeness crab gear. Oceana is a member of the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group and successfully advocated for stronger measures to protect whales from entanglement.

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