California’s Dungeness crab season is delayed once again. This time, the postponement highlights a growing crisis: entanglements between whales and fishing gear.

Each year, humpback whales, along with other species, find themselves ensnared by lines and traps used to capture the state’s prized Dungeness crab. Conservation groups, marine scientists, and government agencies are now asking if a switch to safer fishing gear can be made to protect the migrating giants of the Pacific.

The Risk to Whales: Entanglements and Consequences

Entanglement in fishing lines can be fatal for whales. Ropes from crab pots can wrap around a whale’s body, tail, or fins, creating a burden that restricts movement and feeding, or even cuts into flesh, leading to infection or death. During migration, many humpback whales encounter fishing lines along the West Coast, resulting in a distressing rise in entanglements. According to National Fisherman, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) documented 14 entangled whales off the state’s coast from May to October this year, some of which are confirmed to have been caught in Dungeness crab fishing gear.

The delay in this year’s crab season, currently set to open in early December, marks the sixth consecutive year that CDFW has pushed back the commercial crabbing season to limit these risks. Caitlynn Birch, marine scientist and campaign manager at Oceana, expressed concern over the continuing impact.

“The alarming number of whales entangled in California fishing gear is evidence that we need stronger, preemptive actions to provide whales with safe passage off our shores,” she said in a recent release from Oceana.

Economic Strain for Fishermen

While conservationists have cheered the recent delay, the move hasn’t been easy for California’s fishing community. Tom Capen, a local fisherman, described the delay as a “serious setback,” citing fuel and bait costs that have soared since previous years. For crabbers, this season represents a lifeline, especially with tight restrictions already in place, like the current rule limiting trap counts by 50% in some areas.

“The price of fuel is doubled, tripled, and the price of bait is doubled, so it’s hard to make it now,” Capen told KSBY.

Meanwhile, some recreational crabbing remains open, which Capen believes could deplete crab populations before the commercial season opens. Despite calls for an Incidental Take Permit that would allow fishing even when whales are present, the industry has waited four years without approval. Senior Environmental Scientist Ryan Bartling from CDFW told Jefferson Public Radio that there is a delicate balance between conservation and the financial reality of fishing.

Innovations in Pop-Up Fishing Gear

In response to ongoing entanglements, new technology offers hope. Known as “ropeless” or “pop-up” gear, these systems eliminate the need for surface lines. Instead, they use a release mechanism that brings the trap to the surface when triggered, allowing crabbers to avoid leaving ropes in the water where whales might become entangled. In the spring of 2024, 19 California fishermen participated in a pop-up gear trial, collectively catching around 292,000 pounds of crab valued at $1.5 million. The trial showed promise, confirming that ropeless gear can be a profitable alternative while safeguarding whales.

Ben Grundy of the Center for Biological Diversity advocates for a wider rollout, telling The Seattle Times, “If California had already authorized using pop-up gear…whales would face less risk from traditional lines.”

However, implementing pop-up gear statewide has seen resistance. According to recent research from marine biologists, humpback whales continue to face elevated entanglement risks, particularly in shallower, nearshore areas. The challenge is that this equipment, while effective, can be costly to adopt and requires training to use effectively.

Environmental Shifts and Rising Risks

Beyond fishing gear, environmental changes have added to whale entanglement risks. Marine heatwaves in recent years have pushed whale populations closer to shore, where they encounter fishing equipment more frequently. Variations in upwelling conditions, which boost the coastal ecosystem’s productivity, also shift whale feeding patterns. For example, the upwelling season, which typically begins in spring, increases nearshore productivity, attracting whales to areas dense with crab traps.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) mandates a level of “Potential Biological Removal,” essentially a threshold for human-caused injuries or deaths in whale populations. But data from the National Marine Fisheries Service shows that entanglements are occurring at four times that rate, pushing humpbacks toward population-level risks. Humpback whales that breed in Central America and feed off California are especially vulnerable, their numbers dwindling due to escalating entanglement incidents documented by Oceana.

Can Conservation and Industry Find Common Ground?

As another season delay disrupts the industry, discussions around sustainable fishing practices intensify. The idea of incorporating a “three-year average” entanglement metric for regulatory triggers—a rule that would automatically close a season if entanglements spike—has garnered mixed reactions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife aims to implement a regulatory package addressing whale entanglement risks, yet the Center for Biological Diversity points to concerning delays in key protections, including vessel tracking and gear-marking requirements.

Although the path forward remains fraught with challenges, marine scientists and conservation groups see ropeless gear as a critical next step. “It’s heartbreaking that whales are still dying in fishing gear, even with all our current restrictions,” said Birch of Oceana. However, with conservation advocates, scientists, and government bodies pushing for stronger measures, a long-term shift toward sustainable, whale-safe fishing practices may be possible.

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