Oregon, California delay commercial Dungeness crab seasons in the United States

The U.S. states of Oregon and California have delayed the start of their commercial Dungeness crab seasons due to concerns over the presence of humpback whales and high domoic acid concentrations.The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) had previously delayed the start of the commercial season for fishing zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 – which stretch from the state’s Mexican border north to Gualala, California. State officials determined to push back the start of the season from 15 November after detecting a large number of humpback whales in the area. Officials are required by state law to implement protective measures when there is a high risk of humpback whale entanglement.Following another assessment on 21 November, California has opted to continue the season delay for zones 3 through 6, citing the continued presence of humpback whales. CDFW also chose to delay the start of the season in zones 1 and 2, which were set to open 1 December.The state has detected a high ...