Saving Seafood

OREGON: Whale permit uncertainty drives changes in Oregon crab fishery

May 20, 2026 — Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery is facing additional regulatory changes as the state works to address whale entanglements and move forward with a federal permit that could shape future fishing operations.

Many of the recent changes in the fishery are tied to conservation plan required for Oregon to obtain an incidental take permit under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. The permit would allow the fishery to have some level of impact on endangered humpback whale populations, according to reporting from KMUN. State fishery managers said the application process is underway, but it could take several years before a permit is issued.

At an industry meeting in Astoria, hosted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, staff briefed commercial crabbers on potential regulatory changes connected to the conservation plan. Those under consideration include electronic vessel monitoring, the use of experimental fishing gear, and making a temporary early closure of the fishery permanent.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

OREGON: Humpback tangled in fishing gear spotted near Oregon coast

May 18, 2026 — A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear was spotted Friday west of Winchester Bay, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday.

Justin Ainsworth, a marine resources program manager with the state agency, said in an email that the gear has a commercial crab buoy tag, but its owner hasn’t been identified because officials haven’t been able to make out the vessel name and permit number.

The whale, Ainsworth said, “appeared to be in good health and was quite mobile.”

He said the National Marine Fisheries Service is ultimately responsible for “gear attributions and entanglement accounting,” but that he expects the gear to be linked to the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery. If that’s the case, he said, it would be the second confirmed humpback entanglement in fishery gear in 2026.

Read the full article at the Seattle Times

WASHINGTON: Washington state reclassifying golden mussels as a banned invasive species

April 27, 2026 — The U.S. state of Washington is taking emergency action to reclassify golden mussels as a Prohibited Level 1 invasive species following the discovery of the species in Oregon earlier in the month.

Originally from China and Southeast Asia, golden mussels are an invasive species in the U.S. that are known to cause damage to infrastructure and reduce water quality, harming local fishing operations. The species was first detected in California in 2024, but a second instance was detected in Oregon in April 2026. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), a watercraft was intercepted at the Ashland Boat Inspection Station carrying golden mussels.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

OREGON: Oregon adds late-season crab gear restrictions

February 4, 2026 — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has implemented temporary rule changes that move late-season whale entanglement risk reduction measures for the 2025-2026 commercial Dungeness crab season up by one month, shifting the start date from May 1 to April 1.

Beginning April 1, commercial crab permit holders will see a 20 percent reduction in pot limits combined with a 40-fathom depth restriction, meaning no gear may be fished beyond 40 fathoms once the late-season measures are in effect.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

OREGON: Oregon takes actions to reduce entanglement risks in commercial Dungeness crab fishery

January 28, 2026 — The U.S. state of Oregon has moved up its “late-season” Dungeness crab gear regulations by a month in an effort to reduce the likelihood of whale entanglements.

The late-season rules – which prohibit setting gear in waters deeper than 40 fathoms and require fishers to use 20 percent fewer pots and special buoy tags on each pot – were slated to go into effect 1 May. However, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has decided to move up the start date to 1 April in a bid to prevent any humpback whale entanglements.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

OREGON: Conservation groups urge Oregon to reduce whale deaths from crab fishing gear

December 29, 2025 — After at least four humpback whales were entangled this year in Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear, conservation groups are petitioning the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt measures to reduce the amount of fishing gear during whale feeding and migration seasons.

Filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Cetacean Society, the petition asks officials to open a pathway for fishers to use pop-up fishing gear, which eliminates untended buoy lines. The gear has been tested in the California Dungeness crab fishery, and conservation groups say it is reliable, profitable and safe for whales and other marine animals.

“This year’s horrific entanglements show that humpbacks are in a lot of danger from Oregon crab gear,” said Ben Grundy, an oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If state officials don’t move to adopt whale-safe fishing gear, like pop-up buoys for Dungeness crab pots, endangered whales will continue to suffer and die preventable deaths.”

The petition, filed earlier this month, comes weeks after a young entangled humpback whale was found stranded on a beach north of Yachats. Veterinarians euthanized the whale after unsuccessful attempts to free it on Nov. 17. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife  is investigating the entanglement.

Read the full article at The Oregon Capital Chronicle

OREGON: Crabbing season faces new delays

December 12, 2025 — North Coast crabbing season to stay closed until at least Dec. 31

On Friday, Dec. 5, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced delays to the North Coast commercial Dungeness crab season until at least Wednesday, Dec. 31, citing Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife meat fill test results.

According to an ODFW press release issued on Dec. 5, the commercial season will be open from Cape Falcon to the California border on Dec. 16. The North Coast’s season will remain closed until at least Dec. 31.

“The crabs in Oregon were good north of Cape Falcon,” said Rob Seitz, a local fisherman, “but the ones just north of the river in Washington didn’t quite make it.”

The meat fill test is done to ensure that the crabs have enough meat to meet consumer standards, and to keep the ecosystem healthy, according to ODFW. The required meat recovery percentage is 23%; Long Beach crabs only had a meat fill rate of 22.5%.

The decision to only open Cape Falcon to the California border allows crabbers to ensure that their product is of consistent quality.

Read the full article at The Astorian

OREGON: Oregon fisheries try old technology to boost salmon returns

December 8, 2025 — On a tributary of the Clatskanie River, near Astoria, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has set up a “hatchbox.”

It’s basically six large barrels: three that filter the stream water and three that carry trays of salmon eggs so the water can flow over them.

Tom Stahl, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said hatchboxes can be useful tools in the attempt to restore salmon to local waterways.

When salmon eggs in the barrels turn into tiny fish, usually around January, they’ll be swept into the stream. Essentially, the hatchbox protects the eggs from predators while they grow. Hatchboxes can also be used to bring fish eggs from other locations and introduce them into a new stream.

Older Oregonians may remember hatchboxes from school, where they were used to illustrate the salmon’s lifecycle. But over the years hatchboxes have fallen out of favor, largely because the fish they release compete with wild salmon.

Read the full article at the OPB

OREGON: Oregon to open southern coast for Dungeness crab harvest 16 December

December 8, 2025 — After delaying the full season by two weeks, the U.S. state of Oregon will open its southern coast to commercial Dungeness crab harvesting on 16 December.

“Oregon’s crab fishery is an economic driver for coastal communities,” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Marine Resources Program Manager Justin Ainsworth said in a release. “I appreciate crab fishermen being patient as we tried to align our opening with Washington, but the best option now is to open up what we can.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

OREGON: Oregon delays Dungeness crab season after Washington testing falls short

November 25, 2025 — Officials in the U.S. state of Oregon have decided to delay the state’s commercial Dungeness crab season by at least two weeks, despite preseason testing showing that the state’s crabs met the regulatory threshold for meat recovery.

In a 21 November announcement, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) declared that it would be pushing back the season opening from 1 December to 16 December due to testing in Long Beach, Washington, the only site to show lower meat recovery levels.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource