Tag Archives: humpback whales
Fishermen are gearing up for the Dungeness crab season to start next week
After months of delays, local fishermen will finally be allowed to fish for Dungeness crab off of the Central Coast. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the season will reopen on Jan. 18; however, fleets will only be allowed to use 50 percent of their traps. Meanwhile, those in the industry say the delays and restrictions are frustrating. “The last five years, we’ve been losing all our holiday markets. That means we have to go out in rougher weather,” said Chris Zajac, a Santa Cruz Dungeness crab fisherman. “We only get a month and a half to fish, whereas we used to get eight months to fish for crab,” Zajac said. Video, >>click to read<< 11:24
Dungeness Crab season begins January 5
The commercial Dungeness crab season commences in Del Norte County, this week. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFWD) announced the Dungeness season is now open in zones 1 and 2, Sonoma County line to the Oregon border. The delay in zones 3-6, South of the Sonoma / Mendocino will continue to be restricted. Multiple delays in opening the Crab season have been attributed to excessive humpback whale entanglements and the high number of whale sightings, according to the DFWD Assessment and Mitigation program. more, >>click to read<< 17:25
California Dungeness crab season on hold again, fishermen losing out big
“Absolutely criminal”.
Crabber Matthew Paul,
Dungeness crab season is on hold again. There are a lot fewer fishing boats at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay these days. A high number of migrating humpback whales and a recently confirmed leatherback sea turtle, the largest turtle in the world, being caught in Dungeness crab fishing gear, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, has caused the state to prevent crab traps from being used once again. “Absolutely criminal ’cause they’re not solving the problem by keeping us tied to the dock,” Matthew Paul, who has been crabbing along the California coast for four decades.”That’s about six bucks to the public,” Rick Hauschel explained the price of a crab held in his hands, after lifting one out of a tank on his boat, the Polaris. Video, photos, >>click to read<< 06:59
California’s commercial Dungeness crab season delayed yet again
California’s commercial Dungeness crab season has once again been delayed, officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced. Delays in the crabbing season have been implemented to protect humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles, protected species that are sometimes entangled in crabbing lines and gear. Years of repeated delays and the cancellation of this year’s salmon season have hurt Santa Cruz fishermen financially, says Tim Obert, local commercial fisherman and president of the Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen’s Association. “This year’s crab season is going to be some of the first income for these boats since last year’s crab season closed,” said Obert, noting that he has economically relied on the black cod fishery this year, instead of the usual salmon and Dungeness crab mainstays. more, >>click to read<< 13:54
Commercial Dungeness crab season delayed by California Fish and Wildlife
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season, citing the need to protect humpback whales and other ocean life from entanglement. The delay — which will remain in effect until further notice — affects the taking and possession of commercially-caught Dungeness crab for 200 nautical miles extending from the California coastline. Additionally, a fleet advisory is in effect for recreational Dungeness crab, reminding fisheries to maintain best practices. The next risk assessment is scheduled for around Dec. 7. Friday’s decision falls on the heels of a late October call by the department to restrict recreational and commercial crab fishing in the state. >>click to read<< 09:01
California commercial Dungeness crab season delayed
California’s commercial Dungeness crab seasons will be delayed this year, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife announced Friday. The delays are being enacted in order to protect whales from becoming entangled in crab traps. The opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season will be delayed in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6, an area of the state’s coastline that stretches from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to the U.S.A.-Mexico border. The delay is due to a large number of humpback whales in the area. >>click to read<< 17:33
This fishing gear can help save whales. What will it take for fishermen to use it?
Fishing boats would normally still be unloading Dungeness crabs at San Francisco’s fisherman’s wharf in May. This year, the docks were quiet, except for one berth. “We’re the only boat right now,” says Brand Little, standing next to a large tank of bright red crabs on the deck of his boat, the Pale Horse. State regulators closed the Dungeness season two months early this year, due to the arrival of humpback whales in the area. On both the East and West Coasts, crab and lobster fishermen are seeing their fishing seasons shrink over concerns that whales are getting entangled in the long ropes attached to their gear, accidents that often end up injuring or killing the animals. Photos, >click to read< 08:08
Officials Reveal Suspected Cause Of Death For 2 Whales Floating Off New York Coast
Two humpback whales that were seen floating dead off the coasts of New York and New Jersey earlier this week had evidence of experiencing blunt force trauma, officials said One was a 47-foot male floating off eastern Long Island, and the other was a 28-foot female in Raritan Bay between New York and New Jersey. Though the two whales were both first spotted on Wednesday, their “different levels of decomposition” indicate that their deaths were unrelated, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a Facebook post on Friday. NOAA also announced the suspected cause of death for each whale. >click to read< 08:21
Bay Area restaurants, crabbers prepare as whales force Dungeness crab season to close early
In an effort to protect humpback whales, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife announced commercial crab season in the region will come to a close on Saturday. “Being on the Wharf and in this restaurant all my life, we take a lot of pride in being able to go down to the boats, bring it back, serving the freshest fish possible,” said Paul Capurro, owner of Capurro’s Restaurant. “I think crab is one of the big things that makes Fisherman’s Wharf, Fisherman’s Wharf.” Local crabbers will see less revenue without spring fishing, said Holly Fruehling. “I for one was very excited to be spring fishing this year,” Fruehling said. Video, >click to read< 08:02
CDFW Announces Closure Of Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Off Central California To Protect Humpback Whales
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced a fishery closure for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in fishing zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border) effective at noon on April 15, 2023. The take and possession of Dungeness crab is therefore prohibited after noon on April 15, 2023, in fishing zones 3-6. This season closure is being implemented to minimize entanglement risk for humpback whales as they return to forage off the coast of California and in response to several entanglements that occurred during March and April of 2022. >click to read< 06:53
Regulated revenue: New rules, delayed season cut into local crabbers earning potential
Local crabbers and fishermen struggle to make ends meet due to stormy weather, a delayed fishing season, and a new state mandate. On Dec. 26, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that fisheries stretching roughly from Bodega Bay to Point Conception would finally open on Dec. 31, but now under one condition, crabbers and fishers are required to limit the use of crab traps and gear they throw in the water by 50 percent. Longtime Morro Bay crabber Jeff French said the new rules set by the Department of Fish and Wildlife put crabbers and fishers at a disadvantage. “Our costs are going to be basically the same, except that now we’re expected to make a living on half of our normal gear allotment and we have to pay for tags or licenses every other year for our traps,” >click to read< 12:12
Crab season opens with frustration in San Mateo County – late start and half pots
Commercial crab fishing out of Half Moon Bay will open at midnight on New Year’s Eve following several delays over concerns about humpback whales in the area but a late start on top of other restrictions have cut into profits for frustrated local fishers. Local fishermen like Brittany Binkley, who fishes out of Pillar Point Harbor with her husband Adam Johnson, are worried the combination of the late start and half pots will make it difficult to turn a profit. Daniel Thoresen, who also fishes out of Pillar Point, said he is frustrated because he and his crew are not sure how much the crab will sell for and the delayed season pushed the fishermen deeper into winter. >click to read< 08:33
Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Statewide
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery statewide on Dec. 31, 2022. Fishing Zones 3-6 (all areas south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county Line) will open under a 50 percent trap reduction on Dec. 31, 2022 at 12:01 a.m., with a 64-hour gear setting period beginning on Dec. 28, 2022 at 8:01 a.m. This trap reduction will help reduce risk of entanglement as humpback whales continue to migrate to winter breeding grounds. Commercial Dungeness crab vessels operating in Fishing Zones 3-6 must understand and comply with the restrictions by reviewing the CDFW Declaration. >click to read< 07:20
Local crab fishermen face challenges with late start to season
The commercial crabbing industry has been hit especially hard this year. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife delayed the season three times already because of humpback whales in the area. It’s been a long wait for local crabbers desperate for some much-needed revenue. Every crab pot is checked and readjusted as Captain Matt Juanes does some early preparation for opening day. Multiple delays mean no income since salmon season ended months ago. “We’re dying on the vine. If it’s not salmon, it’s crab. We’re hit from all sides,” said fisherman Brand Little, the captain and owner of salmon and crabbing boat the Pale Horse. Video,>click to read< 11:58
‘It’s not ‘us versus the whales’’: Delayed crab season weighs heavily on Central Coast fishermen
It was six days before Christmas and the December sun shone brightly off the placid waters of the Santa Cruz Harbor, illuminating towers of empty crab pots stacked on the edge of the docks. Inside a nearby meeting room, more than a dozen fishermen from Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey grabbed donuts and gray plastic chairs to discuss their most urgent concern: how to deal with the economic impact of a Dungeness crab season that, now more than a month behind schedule, had yet to open. >click to read< 06:47
California officials delay the start of 2022 Dungeness season
The season was scheduled to start Nov. 15 in the waters from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line south to the Mexican border. The order came down Friday evening from Charlton H. Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Based on recent surveys, large aggregations of humpback whales continue to forage in California coastal waters and allowing the use of crab traps would increase the risk of an entanglement,” Bonham said in announcing the decision. >click to read< 11:34
California: Closure of commercial fishery causes seafood price increase
Two humpback whales became entangled in Dungeness crab gear near the Monterey Peninsula within the last two weeks, leading to the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery,,, “It’s pretty devastating because the best crabbing here is generally in the springtime,” said Morro Bay commercial fisherman, Bill Blue. This suspension isn’t helping, especially during their most profitable season. “It’s a pretty unjust thing. It’s all political. It has nothing to do with saving the whales. The shipping industry kills a lot of whales. Video, >click to read< 10:26
Whales entangled in fishing gear could prompt early end to Dungeness crab season
On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that one of the entangled whales had been spotted near Moss Beach, just north of Half Moon Bay, on March 11. The other was spotted on March 19 in Monterey Bay. Both were alive at the time. “In anticipation of increasing risk due to migrating humpback and blue whales, a closure will help minimize additional entanglement risk,” read a report from the department,,, However, the Dungeness crab fishing fleet in the affected areas may already be shutting itself down preemptively, said Sonoma County fisherman Dick Ogg, who is on a working group organized by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess risk to whales and make recommendations on when it’s time to close the season. >click to read< 07:35
Dungeness crab season opens with extra restrictions as industry sees economic consequences
From Lopez Point in Southern Monterey County to Point Conception in Santa Barbara County, Dungeness crab catching is allowed right now using crab traps, hoop nets and snares, potentially bringing in a boost to the Central Coast economy during the holidays. But due to whale activity, take using crab traps is temporarily restricted in Fishing Zones two and three from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point. Mike Conroy is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association. He said historically, the opening of Dungeness crab season would mean big business for fisheries across California. >click to read< 10:02
California Commercial Dungeness Crab Update
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) just completed the most recent marine life entanglement risk assessment under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP). Recent survey data indicate most Humpback and Blue whales remain outside of the California fishing grounds, however a few Humpback whales have begun to return to Monterey Bay and the Gulf of the Farallones. As a result, the Director of CDFW has issued a statewide Fleet Advisory for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery for all Fishing Zones (Oregon state line to Mexico). >click to read< 08:22
This Year’s Dungeness Crab Fishery a Shell of its Former Self
New regulations and price strikes delayed the start of the season. Dungeness crab fishermen face the worst catch numbers in decades. CDFW monitors for whales, and sea turtles and can delay or halt Dungeness crab commercial fishing if they determine that the risk of entanglement is high. That happened twice at the beginning of this season. The presence of humpback whales kept the fishermen out of the water from the originally scheduled start date of Nov. 15 until Dec. 23. Some fishermen, like Ben Platt, president of the California Coast Crab Association, worry that the new regulations will squeeze the season into a few months every year. Half Moon Bay-based fisherman Tim Obert agrees. “The Thanksgiving market’s huge for us,” he says. “The RAMP has taken that out.” >click to read< 21:10
Bodega Bay Crabbers struggle to protect whales frequenting their waters–while still making a living.
Mark Gentry pauses for an afternoon yerba mate on the dock by his boat, whose deck is littered with crusty lines and vinyl yellow “bib” coveralls. Tall piles of circular mesh crab pots sit idle nearby; this year’s crab season ended early as whales moved through the area.,, Since 2015, crabber Dick Ogg says he and his colleagues have been doing “everything we can to fish alongside the whales and coexist with them,” including starting a lost gear removal program and working to remove potentially dangerous excess slack from buoy lines. They even voluntarily delayed the 2019-2020 crabbing season due to high whale activity. CDFW senior scientist Ryan Bartling points out that these programs weren’t just implemented by crabbers but actually suggested by them, as part of a working group of fishermen, regulators, and nonprofit representatives who convened to find solutions. >click to read< 18:50
Humpback whales, large ships on deadly collision course at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay
Attracted by a relative abundance of fish, growing numbers of humpback whales spend the winter in the waters where the Chesapeake Bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean. No. 166675 was one of them. Researchers tracked the young male with a satellite tag for 10 days in January 2017 as he dodged huge vessels in one of the busiest shipping lanes on the East Coast. The next month, the whale’s body washed ashore on Virginia Beach. A necropsy confirmed the scientists’ fears: He had been struck by a large ship. After six years of monitoring humpbacks’ movements in the Hampton Roads region, the team conducting the Navy-funded study has published its first peer-reviewed paper. It shows that many more humpbacks are at risk from ship strikes and suggests that authorities may need to take more actions to protect them. >click to read< 13:45
Dungeness Crab Season Closed Early Due to Dubious Whale Crisis, COVID-19 Economic Impact on Coastal Communities Made Worse by Closure
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced that effective May 15, 2020, the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season, which began in December, will be closed due to the perceived risk of commercial crab fishing gear harming migratory whales. Ironically, as a result of ongoing cooperative measures between the California Dungeness crab fishing fleet and CDFW, interactions between Dungeness crab fishing gear and the two subgroups of Humpback whales, or Distinct Population Segments (DPS), which are “endangered” and “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are extremely rare. “The risk of crab fishing gear harming endangered whales is statistically insignificant because of low concentrations of whale, as well as the relatively small amounts of gear being deployed along the Central California coast,” said Ben Platt, president of the California Coast Crab Association (CCCA). >click to read< 12:26
Southeast Alaska fishermen unite against designating critical habitat for humpback whales
Fishermen from different gear groups united against a proposed federal rule to designate Southeast Alaska as critical habitat for humpback whales. About 60 people crowded into the Petersburg borough assembly chambers and others overflowed into the hallway. Most were fishermen from Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan.,, They had the same message for the federal government. They don’t want Southeast labeled critical habitat for whales. >click to read< 13:00
Bodega Bay crab fleet to sit out Dungeness opener to avoid whales, urging other ports to do same
Bodega Bay’s commercial crabbing fleet has agreed to voluntarily forgo Friday’s scheduled Dungeness crab season opener, an extraordinary step aimed to avoid potentially harmful encounters with endangered humpback whales,, The Bodega Bay fleet, which was unanimous in its decision Tuesday, is hoping to persuade nearby ports to follow suit, resisting the urge to get out on the water for the time being,,, >click to read< 08:00
Feds Tap 300,000 Square Miles of Pacific for Humpback Whales
The proposed rule is the result of a settlement with the National Marine Fisheries Service, who were sued last year for not following through on a 2016 plan to designate two groups of Pacific Ocean humpback whales as endangered and a third group as threatened. The Center for Biological Diversity, joined by Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Wishtoyo Foundation, filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California claiming the lack of action by the Trump administration violated the Endangered Species Act. >click to read< 16:25
Whales are facing a deadly threat along West Coast: container ships
One day last May, a container ship entered the San Francisco Bay with extra cargo. A 45-foot-long dead female fin whale was draped across the ship’s bow. The impact with the ship had broken her back, ruptured her organs and caused severe internal bleeding. Ten whale deaths were attributed to ship strikes in 2018 – the highest number on record in California since NOAA Fisheries began tracking in 1982. The mortality rate represents an enormous increase from the average 3.4 ship strike victims recorded annually in the five previous years. Five of the 10 whales that died with boat collision injuries in 2018 were endangered or threatened fin, blue and humpback whales. >click to read<15:29
Death by Killer Algae
They didn’t think much of the first dead whale. Dwarfed by the rugged cliffs of Patagonia’s high green fjords, the team of biologists had sailed into a gulf off the Pacific Ocean searching for the ocean’s smaller animals, the marine invertebrates they were there to inventory. That night, while hunting for an anchorage in a narrow bay, the team spotted a large, dead whale floating on the water’s surface. But for the biologists, death—even of such an enormous animal—didn’t seem so unusual. Not so unusual, that is, until they found the second whale, lying on the beach. And a third. And a fourth. In all, they found seven in that bay alone. Over the next day, they counted a total of 25 dead whales in the fjord. click here to read the story 15:42
Increase in humpback whales in B.C. waters results in record number of entanglements
Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator with the federal fisheries department, has received reports of a record 22 whale entanglements in the province so far this year, including 21 humpbacks and one grey whale. In a typical year there are 10 to 15. “It’s a very unfortunate series of incidents,” Cottrell said Thursday. “We’re interested in investigating to find out what happened and what can be done to prevent it going forward.” Humpbacks have been recovering steadily since the era of commercial whaling but have been observed in unusually high numbers off B.C. this year. They are also staying longer before migrating to breeding and calving grounds in Hawaii and Mexico. “It’s amazing the number of humpbacks we’re seeing in inshore waters,” Cottrell said. “Southern Alaska is seeing a lot fewer humpbacks this year so they may have shifted to our area. Their entanglements are drastically down.” Read the rest here 19:59
