Courtesy of SeafoodNews.com
Whales are in, crabbers are out in Central California as of April 8.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program and announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 — Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border — effective at noon on April 8. The closure is being implemented due to two recent humpback whale entanglements that occurred off San Mateo County and in Monterey Bay involving California commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear, the Department said in a press release.
While this closure shortens the season for many fishermen, the RAMP regulations are designed to minimize risk and provide for a long-term viable fishery for all Californians, CDFW said. In addition, the Director has authorized the Lost and Abandoned Gear Retrieval Program to begin removing commercial Dungeness crab traps left in the water beginning at noon on April 15, in those same zones.
“It’s pretty devastating because the best crabbing here is generally in the springtime,” Morro Bay commercial fisherman Bill Blue was reported as saying in a KSBY-TV news story.
According to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission’s PacFIN database, preliminary reports show the average California crab ex-vessel price rose from $4.89 per pound in December to $7.88 per pound in February as the supply across the West Coast dropped off.
“The past few seasons have been difficult for fishing families, communities and businesses, but it is imperative that we strike the right balance between protecting humpback whales and providing fishing opportunity,” Bonham said in the press release. “The fleet has done an impressive job helping CDFW manage risk of entanglement in the commercial fishery, including starting to remove fishing gear when the entanglements were first reported. This partnership helps ensure we protect future opportunities to fish and the incredible biodiversity of our ocean.”
CDFW asks fishermen and mariners to be on the lookout for entangled whales and report them so that a disentanglement response team can be mobilized to remove the gear. Reports can be made to 1-877-SOS- WHALE or contact the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16. The recreational fishery in these zones remains open but may be subject to a future trap restriction when humpbacks return to forage during the spring and summer. In addition, CDFW is continuing a Fleet Advisory and reminds all in the commercial and recreational fisheries to implement best practices.