Anglers wishing to plumb the depths of Tomales Bay in search of delectable Dungeness crab got some good news. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will issue fishing licenses that expire 365 days after the date of purchase. In previous years, licenses expired at the end of the calendar year in which they were purchased. For crabbers, this meant licenses would expire a few months after the opening day of the recreational season, usually in November, and new licenses would need to be purchased to continue stalking the tasty crustaceans through the end of the season, usually in June. This year, the recreational crab season is scheduled to begin on Nov. 6, but could be delayed by new rules meant to protect whales from entanglement in crab gear. The commercial crab season was delayed in 2019 and 2020 to avoid whale entanglements. This year, if whales are present, both the commercial and recreational season will be delayed. According to Fish and Wildlife, all crab traps must be marked with two specific-sized buoys; traps must be raised, cleaned and emptied at least every nine days; crabbers may use up to 10 traps and service 10 more with written permission from the operator; an annual $2.42 trap validation is required for each trap; and the daily possession limit is 10 legal-sized—5 3/4-inch—crabs. Neither the second buoy requirement nor the crab trap validation is required for hoop nets or loop traps. Department representatives also reminded anglers that in 2004, the California Environmental Protection Agency issued a health advisory regarding the consumption of red rock crabs taken from Tomales Bay due to elevated levels of mercury. Women of childbearing age and children under age 17 should not eat red rock crab more than once a week.