California’s commercial fishing industry, marine scientists, and conservation organizations are joining forces in a new initiative designed to reduce whale entanglements while supporting the long-term viability of the state’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery.
Announced October 22, the Dungeness Crab and Whale Conservation Collaborative brings together the Marine Mammal Center, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Supported by a three-year grant from the Clean Break Fund, the partnership will combine scientific research, modern monitoring technologies, and the firsthand knowledge of commercial fishermen to improve whale protection and inform fishery management decisions.
Improving Whale Monitoring Through Technology and Collaboration
One of the primary challenges in reducing whale entanglements is determining where whales are located and how their movements change over time. Without timely, reliable information, fishery managers may need to implement restrictions that disrupt commercial fishing operations to reduce the risk of marine mammal interactions.
The collaborative aims to address this challenge by developing a more comprehensive picture of whale presence, distribution, and behavior along the California coast. The Marine Mammal Center will lead efforts to integrate information from multiple monitoring technologies and research methods, including vessel-based surveys, drones, shore-based observations, and underwater acoustic gliders.
Commercial fishermen will play a direct role in the research. PCFFA will facilitate industry-led vessel surveys and involve fishermen in entanglement investigations, helping ensure that practical knowledge from people working on the water informs the scientific process.
The Nature Conservancy will support the expansion of vessel-based surveys and satellite-based whale detections, while also advancing gear recovery technology and improvements to the information systems used in fishery management.
The partners intend to share their findings with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and other relevant agencies to help inform management decisions, including those made through the state’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP).
Addressing a Persistent Challenge for California’s Dungeness Crab Fishery
Whale entanglement concerns have become a significant management challenge for California’s commercial Dungeness crab fleet. Seasonal delays, fishing restrictions, and early closures can prevent fishermen from accessing important harvest periods, creating financial uncertainty for fishing businesses and the coastal communities that depend on them.
California has explored alternative fishing technologies, including pop-up fishing gear, as a way to reduce entanglement risks while allowing fishing to continue under certain conditions. However, participation in these alternative-gear operations remains limited.
Better information about whale locations and movements could help regulators make more targeted, responsive decisions as conditions change. Rather than relying solely on broad restrictions when risks increase, managers may be able to use improved monitoring data to better assess where and when additional measures are necessary.
The stakes extend beyond individual fishing operations. The Dungeness crab fishery supports commercial fishermen, seafood businesses, processors, distributors, restaurants, and other employers throughout California’s coastal economy. Maintaining a viable fishery while protecting marine wildlife is therefore an important shared objective for industry, conservation groups, and public agencies.
Building Solutions Around Shared Goals
The new collaborative reflects a growing emphasis on bringing fishing communities into the development of conservation strategies rather than treating commercial fishing and wildlife protection as competing priorities.
By combining scientific expertise, emerging technologies, and fishermen’s practical experience, the initiative seeks to develop solutions grounded in better data and a clearer understanding of conditions at sea.
Its success will depend in part on whether improved monitoring can translate into more effective management decisions, reduced entanglement risks, and fewer unnecessary disruptions to fishing activity. The work may also help strengthen the information available to regulators as they evaluate management measures and adapt to changing marine conditions.
For California’s seafood industry, this collaborative approach represents an important opportunity to advance marine conservation while supporting the fishing businesses and coastal communities that contribute to the state’s seafood supply and economic vitality.
The California Fisheries and Seafood Institute will continue to monitor developments affecting California’s commercial fisheries, seafood businesses, and coastal communities.
Additional Information
- Partnership announcement: The Marine Mammal Center — A Collaboration to Protect Whales and Support California’s Dungeness Crab Fishery
- California fishery management updates:California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Whale Safe Fisheries