Seventy-nine humpback whales observed in the Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay have prolonged a delay in the opening of commercial and sport Dungeness crab seasons in Bay Area waters.
The seasons, which typically open in early November, are being held up by new rules that seek to lessen the impacts of crab equipment on humpback whale and leatherback sea turtle populations. Two weeks ago, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife continued the delays due to the presence of both species.
The restrictions, which stem from a 2019 settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, currently allow the recreational take of Dungeness crab with hoop nets and crab snares, equipment that leaves less loose line in the water.
According to Bolinas fisherman Don Murch, 95 percent of crabs are caught in the first month of the season. He hopes the state can strike a balance between protecting marine populations and preserving the livelihoods of fishermen. “What they are doing is going to affect the small fisherman quite a lot and is an unintended consequence of saving the whales,” he said.
Humpback populations along the Pacific coast are increasing in numbers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But in June, one humpback turned up in Mexico tangled in California crab fishing gear, and the Center for Biological Diversity reported at least 11 other humpback entanglements this year.
Aerial and vessel-based surveys conducted in November above the Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay found small concentrations of humpbacks and large numbers of jellyfish—a key food source for leatherback sea turtles. The West Pacific leatherback population is considered highly endangered, with an estimated 50 individuals.
Scott Benson, a marine ecologist with NOAA, said the turtles’ migration spans the Pacific Ocean from Northern California to its nesting beaches in Indonesia. The 7,000-mile journey presents many threats, including illegal take, ship strikes and egg theft. California has taken significant measures to lessen the vulnerabilities leatherbacks and whales face, but population declines cannot be attributed solely to fisheries, Mr. Benson said.
“The Dungeness crab fisheries in California are actually doing a good job. They are making an effort to have little to no impact. The things happening outside our jurisdiction, outside of where we can control—that’s where the trouble is,” he said.
Mr. Murch sells his catch at a farm stand in town, and said much of the crab that winds up on local dinner tables during the holidays comes from small or midsized fisherman like himself. He said ropeless gear, which environmental groups are advocating, is not a sustainable option. The equipment, which leaves nothing suspended in the water, can get blown around or buried in sand if a storm comes through, and it’s costly: a typical prototype model costs $3,000 and has a 20 to 30 percent failure rate.
Mr. Murch thinks entanglements could be better avoided by placing regulations on how many pots each company is allowed to have. “When the season opens, the water is solid with crab pots. If we reduced the number of pots in the water by 90 percent, I think it would make a huge difference. The [state’s] response is to shorten the season rather than change the regulations on fishermen,” he said.
With the next risk assessment taking place on Dec. 15, the season has already dwindled, and fisheries missed out on profits from Thanksgiving.
“For the big boat guys, it’s a disaster because they really depend on it for their livelihoods,” Mr. Murch said.
Nick Kreiger, who got his start as a fisherman in Bolinas, captains the Arianna Rose out of San Francisco Bay. He is concerned about fishermen who, desperate to keep up with the costs of running their company, will go out the minute the season opens, even in dangerous weather.
“This is a fall-weather fishery,” he said. “It’s possible we will start this year in late December or January, in the middle of storm season. There are going to be captains who are compelled to go out and make money despite storms.”