Dungeness crab season in much of California could come to an early end after two humpback whales were entangled in fishing gear during their migration — the latest blow to an already challenging season for crabbers.
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In the wake of the two entangled whales — one found on March 11 near Moss Beach, north of Half Moon Bay, and the other on March 19 in Monterey Bay — the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended on Tuesday that crab season close on April 8, weeks earlier than usual. The recommendation comes in an effort to minimize additional entanglement risks during humpback and blue whale migration season. A final decision is expected later this week.
As a result, some fishermen have already begun bringing in their gear.
Dick Ogg, a commercial fisherman in Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, told KCBS Radio that strong winds and large ocean swells have created difficult conditions.
"We've already experienced some problems this year," he said. "We had a young man pass in a boat sink and we don't want to have any more issues and it’s just not worth taking a chance."
He said that for a season that’s already been marked by challenging weather, the early crab closure is yet another blow.
While the end of the season doesn’t have the same volume as a Thanksgiving or Christmas market, Ogg said the high price of crab helps sustain some fishermen until the next season.
"There are people that rely on the end of the year to keep them going until the next season starts, so it's hard for everybody," he explained.
However, others argue that crab season should have ended even earlier.
"We would have liked to have seen it close even sooner to better protect these whales, instead of reacting to this horribly sad news. It would have prevented it from happening in the first place," Kristen Monsell, legal director of the Oceans Center for Biological Diversity, told KCBS Radio.
"(Whales) are at risks of entanglements anywhere that there is rope in the water in their habitat," she explained. "And these recent entanglements are proof that California has to do more."
Both Ogg and Monsell agreed on the need for new, whale-safe equipment, however that still remains in development and not approved for use.
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