Alana Minkler, PRESS DEMOCRAT
For the seventh year in a row, California officials are limiting commercial Dungeness crab fishing along the coast — including off Sonoma County — to protect humpback whales from becoming entangled in fishing gear.
Charlton H. Bonham, director of the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, announced the new restrictions Thursday after aerial footage showed whales returning early to coastal feeding grounds.
All commercial crab fishing zones south of San Mateo County must now close for the season. Fishing Zone 3 — which stretches from the Mendocino County line to Pigeon Point and includes Bodega Bay and the San Francisco Bay — will remain open for now, but under tighter rules: crabbers must reduce their gear by half and avoid setting traps deeper than 30 fathoms, or about 180 feet.
The state has repeatedly delayed or shortened crab seasons since 2019 to protect migrating whales from becoming ensnared in vertical fishing lines.
Read more at https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/crab-sonoma-coast-california-season-whales/