February 25, 2026 — Commissioners for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife voted no on a petition that would’ve modified the rules for crab fisheries in an effort to prevent whale entanglements on Friday.
After hearing testimony from more than 70 people who showed up to their regular meeting in Springfield on Feb. 20, the commissioners voted 6-1 to a proposal which would have initiated a public rulemaking process.
The petition was filed by environment groups Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Cetacean Society in an effort to reduce the number of whales caught in fishing gear.
“Whale entanglements in the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery are a serious and increasing problem, especially for endangered humpback whales,” said Ben Enticknap, fisheries campaign director for Oceana. And this problem isn’t going away on its own.”