CDFW announces early ending to commercial Dungeness crab season

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced new changes for commercial and recreational crab fishing on the central coast.

Due to concerns about entangling whales in traps as Humpback Whales return to the California Coast, commercial fishing in Zones 4, 5, and 6 are being closed starting at 6pm on April 15th.

The shortened season impacting businesses like Café Fina in Monterey.

"It's very, very expensive because it's not available, we have to get it out of Washington or Alaska or Canada, Café Fina owner Dominic Mercurio said. "It's a double edged sword the business we rely a lot on the whale watching in the bay. It's a big deal. But then again, my family, I come from a fisherman's family.“

Zones 1 to 3 in Northern California will be staying open to the end of the yearly fishing season with fleet advisory in effect.

Zone 4 between Pigeon Point and Lopez Point is our local slice of the coast, which is also seeing new restrictions on recreational crab traps at the same time, but Fish and Wildlife reminds people that they can still go crabbing using other methods, like hoop nets and crab snares.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says that they are anticipating an increase in whale migration in the upcoming weeks based on historical trends.

Starting on April 22nd, commercial crabbing vessels will be allowed to retrieve an unlimited number of crab traps that are still in fishing zones 4 through 6 as part of their Lost and Abandoned gear retrieval program.

The next risk assessment is set to take place in mid-April.