The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has documented nine whale entanglements so far this year — six of them in Monterey Bay. Now, the state is delaying the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season to avoid more.
Over the weekend, the recreational fishing season for Dungeness crab opened. But commercial fishermen all along the California Coast will have to wait until January 7th to put out their gear.
"It’s really been driven by entanglements off of our coast," said Ryan Bartling, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Humpback whales are kind of the focal species, but we have, unfortunately, had leatherback sea turtles entangled as well."
Delaying the commercial season allows whales to migrate out of the areas at lower risk, he said.
"We’ll fly transects, looking for humpback whale presence," added Bartling. "And if they’re over a certain number, then the director can take the action to delay, or in the case of recreational traps, restrict them till the whales leave."
This is the seventh consecutive year that the department has delayed the commercial season.
