US: Dungeness crab season cancelled for remainder of 2024 in California, Washington

Fisheries regulators on the West Coast are further delaying the opening of their states’ respective commercial Dungeness crab seasons due to the presence of humpback whales and low meat quality, with all but a small portion of Oregon's coast unlikely to open before the end of the year. On 6 December, the state of California announced it was delaying the start of the commercial crab season for a third time this year, citing the continued presence of blue and humpback whales in the area. The season was initially slated to open on 15 November. California law requires state regulators to take protective action when there is a high risk of whale entanglement. In a 4 December assessment, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF) reported that humpback and blue whale sightings remain high throughout most of the state’s fishing zones: a NOAA aerial survey counted 28 humpback whales in Fishing Zone 5 on 1 December. The continued whale presence led the department to recommend ...