photo credit: CDFW/Christy Juhasz
Catching Dungeness crabs.

California’s commercial crab harvest will finally open on Jan. 5, 2025.

That’s the word from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife following a risk assessment designed to prevent whale entanglements in fishing gear off the North Coast. 

But, Bodega Bay crabbers have had to agree to a 50% reduction in gear for regulators to let them fish.

Concern over whale entanglements in crab gear have been severe since 2017 when environmentalists sued the state after 71 whales were killed the year before. 

State biologists regularly postpone the commercial crab season if whales are observed off the coastline. Word came through Friday the commercial season would open from the Mendocino/Sonoma county line to the Mexican border.

But there’s a catch: harvesters would have to agree to use half as many crab pots as normally allowed per vessel when they go out on Jan. 5

"Even though it's a 50% reduction, you know, in allocation, it's still a good, good opportunity," said Sonoma County crabber Dick Ogg, president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association. "It's a positive step. We're working towards finding resolutions for all these different issues that we have and and, you know, we just want to go fishing."

Bodega Bay is the third largest port in the state’s most lucrative fishery. 1.3 million pounds were landed last year worth $3.7 million dollars in calendar year 2023. 

Further north, commercial crabbing will remain closed until at least Jan. 15. 

Recreational crabbing with hoop nets remains open up and down the coast.