Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

From the CDFW Newsletter...

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced a temporary crab trap restriction in the recreational crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3 and 4, a Fleet Advisory for the recreational fleet in Fishing Zones 1-6, and a delay in the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season in Fishing Zones 3-6. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction and is allowed statewide beginning Nov. 4, 2023. The use of recreational crab traps in Fishing Zones 1, 2, 5 and 6 is also allowed.

The newsletter says that the full news release can be found at the CDFW News Room but so far they haven't updated it. Here's the link for you to check later:

https://wildlife.ca.gov/news?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

For those with a memory like mine, here's the list of zones...

Zone 1: From the California/Oregon border (42° N. latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40° 10' N. latitude)

Zone 2: From Cape Mendocino to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line (38° 46.125' N. latitude)

Zone 3: From Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Pigeon Point (37° 11' N. latitude)

Zone 4: From Pigeon Point to Lopez Point (36° N. latitude)

Zone 5: From Lopez Point to Point Conception (34° 27 N. latitude)

Zone 6: From Point Conception to the U.S./Mexico Border

Zone 7*: “Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle Foraging Area” from Point Arena (38° 57.5' N. latitude) to Point Pinos (36° 38.314' N. latitude)

Jeremy Loc: America

Uh oh.

Be grateful they are trying to preserve the Shellfish for awhile. Red tide suck too.

Thanks for the information. Been a great year up north here for Crab 🦀 but it’s because it’s regulated and studied.

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

From a 2nd newsletter...

Oct. 27, 2023

Media Contacts:
Ryan Bartling, CDFW Marine Region, (415) 238-2638
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

Map of California marine fishing zones (see picture, below)

CDFW Restricts Recreational Crab Traps and Delays the Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery to Protect Whales from Entanglement

The recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps will be temporarily restricted between the Sonoma/Mendocino county line and Lopez Point, Monterey County (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) when the season opens on Saturday, Nov. 4 due to presence of humpback whales and potential for entanglement from trap gear. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction and is allowed statewide beginning Nov. 4, 2023. The use of recreational crab traps in Fishing Zones 1, 2, 5 and 6 is also allowed. In addition, a Fleet Advisory has been issued for all Fishing Zones (1-6) for the recreational fishery. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line was scheduled to open on Nov. 15, 2023 in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, the season opener has been delayed in those zones due to presence of high numbers of humpback whales.

“Large aggregations of humpback whales continue to forage between Bodega Bay and Monterey and allowing the use of crab traps would increase the risk of an entanglement in those fishing zones,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham. “We will continue to work with both the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries to protect whales while working to maximize fishing opportunity. We appreciate the ongoing commitment by both the recreational and commercial fleets and the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group to manage entanglement risk in this iconic fishery."

CDFW reminds anglers that the deployment and use of crab traps in any recreational crab fishery (including rock crab) is temporarily restricted in Fishing Zones 3 and 4 until lifted by the CDFW Director. Recreational crabbers should also implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide. In addition, if adopted, proposed regulations for recreational groundfish will allow the deployment of Dungeness crab traps shoreward of the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart G) when groundfish are onboard. Until the emergency regulations are in place, no fishing gear of any type may be deployed shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA line when shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod are onboard.

CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or before Nov. 17, 2023, at which time the Director will re-evaluate risk for the Dungeness crab fisheries. That risk assessment is expected to inform the potential for a statewide commercial fishery opener on Dec. 1 and the potential to modify the recreational trap restriction.

For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page or more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.

###

K Krew Loc: Woodland, Ca

Thanks for the info, I switched to Promar hoop nets last year and they work pretty good.