Wednesday June 18, 2025
National Fisherman —
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Northern Management Area to help safeguard whales from the risk of entanglements in fishing gear.
The decision was made following an entanglement risk assessment under the state’s Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP).
CDFW director Charlton H. Bonham has ordered the closure of Fishing Zones 1 and 2, which span from the California-Oregon border down to the Sonoma/ Mendocino County line. The closure will take effect at 6 p.m. on June 20, 2025, prohibiting the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from these waters. This latest closure follows seasonal shutdowns already in place for Fishing Zones 3 through 6.
On January 2, the pre-soak period covering Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 began, and fishermen were able to operate under a 50 percent trap reduction to mitigate the risk of humpback entanglements. The season for the Northern Management Area, which includes Zones 1 and 2, was further delayed due to the inability to conduct industry-sponsored meat quality testing.