For Dungeness crab fleets, seafood processors and crab lovers, the new year is looking bright.
The Bay Area’s long-delayed commercial crab fishing season will begin Dec. 29, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday evening.
The decision opens up the last portion of the California coast still waiting for a go-ahead from state officials, who were waiting for humpback whales to migrate south to their breeding grounds — and out of harm’s way from fishing gear.
“Based on data collected during the most recent risk assessment, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director has determined that risk of entanglement has declined, and it is time to provide fishing opportunity in all fishing zones,” officials said in the statement.
The decision applies to the waters off Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties. The commercial fishery may set their gear at 8:01 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 26, and pull up the first crabs at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29. Recreational crabbing may begin earlier, this Friday, Dec. 17.
The CDFW originally suggested a Dec. 22 haul date, but the Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay seafood marketing associations and the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association asked for a one-week delay, saying that such a quick turn-around, especially during the holidays, would be challenging. The delay until Dec. 29, they wrote in a letter to the state, would be preferable when taking into account the “limited access to labor, truck shortages, infrastructure currently staged in other zones, and holiday closures.”
Bay Area markets and restaurants have been able to offer Dungeness since Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties were allowed to start crabbing Dec. 1, but supplies have been limited. More crab should be coming in with this week’s opening of the season for Santa Cruz and Monterey counties; the first haul will be pulled up Thursday, Dec. 16.
The Bay Area’s commercial Dungeness crab season traditionally starts Nov. 15. But since 2015, there have been delays in all but one season — either because of the existence of domoic acid, a toxin, in the crabs or the risk of whales becoming entangled in crab pot lines.
Source: www.mercurynews.com