The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday the situation in California proves the new Risk Assessment Mitigation Program is working.
The RAMP is successfully striking a balance between the needs of the commercial Dungeness crab fleet and protection of marine life, the CDFW said, and the Department will open the commercial season statewide on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
This will allow the fleet a chance to get Dungeness crab on California tables before the holiday season ends, the agency noted in a press release.
This statewide opener ends delays in place due to meat quality in the northern management area and the potential for whale entanglement in the central management area, the CDFW said in the statement.
For the northern area, north of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line, the pre-soak period will begin Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8:01 a.m. and for the central area south of the county line, the pre-soak period will begin Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 6:01 a.m.
Available data indicates some whales remain in the fishing grounds but risk is declining and CDFW supports a balanced approach to managing risk and providing opportunity for the commercial fishery that is grounded in expert science, the Department said.
The industry expected the Department to announce an opening on Dec. 16, according to the department’s preliminary assessment on Dec. 8. However, fishermen remained concerned about the presence of whales in some areas.
“Our recommendation was to open this Wednesday,” CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham said in the press release. “But after hearing from parts of the fleet expressing a variety of views, and review of additional scientific information provided by Working Group experts, we decided on an additional seven-day delay. This gives the fleet extra time to get ready and get their gear in the water, certainty in that we’re opening statewide, hopefully the chance to get part of the holiday market and an additional seven days for any remaining whales to migrate. We support any additional measures the fleet or specific ports wish to take to minimize entanglements and also understand the additional hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. CDFW staff, collaborators and partners have worked hard to collect data to inform a unified statewide opener.”
So far, Oregon crabbers south of Cape Falcon in the northern part of the state are the only fishermen allowed to begin harvesting Dungeness crab, on Dec. 16. Fishermen and processors were rushing to load crab gear on boats so they crabbers could start setting gear today.
The area north of Cape Falcon and including Washington waters remain closed due to elevated domoic acid levels in crab from some areas in Washington. The delay is through at least Dec. 31 and the Washington Department of Health is conducting additional testing.
Whale entanglement risk still exists in California, but it is low, the California agency said. Thus, the opening declaration is accompanied by a notice to the fleet to use best fishing practices and avoid areas where whales may be congregating including around the canyon edges of Monterey, and between the Farallon Islands and Point Reyes.
Recent survey data indicate most whales have started their annual migration out of the fishing grounds, according to the Department. The Whale Entanglement Working Group evaluated all available data and did not provide a consensus recommendation to open or delay. After the Working Group meeting, the majority of ports requested further delay of the opener.
Currently, the National Weather Service is forecasting a series of storms, with accompanying steep seas, for much of the West Coast through next weekend.