December 22, 2025 — California’s commercial Dungeness crab season is set to open on January 5 with limits on the number of commercial traps because of the risk of humpback whale entanglements, authorities said Friday.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the Central Management Area from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Point Conception in Santa Barbara County will operate under a 40% trap reduction for commercial crabbing. Those fishermen will be allowed to begin setting traps during a “pre-soak” period starting on January 2.
Commercial crab fishing from the Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line will remain delayed until January 15, with pre-soak beginning on January 12 with a 15% trap reduction, the CDFW said. The additional delay in northern waters is due to high levels of domoic acid in crab, which will require more testing before the all-clear is given, the CDFW said. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by certain algae that can accumulate in shellfish and cause amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans.
In addition, the delay in the north will trigger California’s “fair start” rule, which bars vessels that fished in any other Dungeness crab area earlier in the season, including Oregon and Washington, from fishing in the newly opened delayed area for 30 days.