California commercial Dungeness crab season delayed until January 2027
By Tim Fang
Dungeness crab from the California coast won’t be on the menu for another holiday season, as state wildlife officials delayed the commercial crab fishing season into early 2027.
On Friday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the commercial fishery from the California / Oregon border to Point Conception will be delayed until at least January 1.
Officials said the delay is required due to the number of humpback whale entanglements so far this year. Current regulations require the head of the CDFW to take these actions to reduce the possibility of additional whale entanglements for the remainder of 2026 and to allow whales to migrate out of the area before the fishery opens.
“CDFW remains committed to working collaboratively with all sectors across California to protect whale and turtles from entanglements in fishing gear,” CDFW director Meghan Hertel said in a statement. “Partnerships are more important than ever as we work together to protect endangered whales and turtles and our fishing communities in the face of increasing disruptions from our changing climate.”
Officials said a risk assessment to determine when the crab fishery would reopen would likely take place in mid-December.
In addition to the delay to commercial crab fishing season, the recreational Dungeness crab season will begin Saturday, Nov. 7 under trap restrictions. The agency reminds anglers that all hoop nets must be serviced every two hours and cannot be left unattended in the water for longer periods.
A portion of the fishery between Cape Mendocino and the Ten-Mile State Marine Reserve will remain closed due to unhealthy levels of domoic acid found in crab collected in the area. Caused by certain algal blooms, domoic acid is a neurotoxin that can accumulate in fish, shellfish and other invertebrates.
At low levels, exposure to domoic acid can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. Officials said high levels of domoic acid can cause short-term memory loss, seizures and can be fatal in some cases.
Whale entanglements, along with a pricing dispute also delayed the previous Dungeness crab season until early January of this year.
