Saving Seafood

CALIFORNIA: New generation of San Francisco crab fishermen await upcoming Dungeness season

November 25, 2025 — Bay Area commercial crab fishermen are waiting for another assessment in December to get a better idea of when they’ll get the green light to harvest Dungeness crab.

Years of shortened seasons have led many to leave the industry. But that’s not stopping some younger generation fishermen.

Just one fishing boat is docked at Pier 45 in San Francisco, with its crew unloading their catch.

It will be another late night for Jonathan Tin and best friend Hunter Nguyen. They haven’t slept much lately, with most of their days and nights at sea.

“We just love it. There’s nothing else like it, going out there,” said Tin.

Read the full article at CBS News

CALIFORNIA: California wildlife officers find dozens illegally harvesting Dungeness crab

September 24, 2025 — In August, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers caught roughly 45 individuals engaged in illegally harvesting Dungeness crab, ultimately issuing 15 citations.

Officers headed to the scene at Thronton Beach in San Francisco after being alerted to “30 people” potentially poaching via the state’s tip line. Law enforcement found close to 45 individuals taking part and opted to approach small groups of poachers as they left the beach.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

San Francisco fisherman hid illegally caught species

January 7, 2025 — Last week at San Francisco’s Pier 45, a commercial fisherman found themselves in hot water after being caught with over 2,000 pounds of unlawfully caught fish. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Monday that the fisherman had gone to great lengths to deceive authorities, hiding fillets of salmon behind a false wall on their trawl boat.

The bust came after a period of surveillance by CDFW officers, who observed the fisherman unloading burlap sacks from the boat into a vehicle. The situation escalated when the fisherman attempted to hide the fish at a restaurant and evade capture. However, CDFW officers were quick to locate and apprehend them.

The haul included several species, including halibut, sole, sanddabs, and salmon. When landed, none of this catch had been reported as required for commercial fishing, a serious breach of regulations. Notably, all recreational and commercial salmon fishing in California has been prohibited since 2023 to aid in the recovery of dwindling salmon populations.

Further investigation revealed an additional 2,365 pounds of halibut, which authorities seized. The confiscated halibut was later sold, with proceeds donated to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, showing the state’s commitment to conservation.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: California crabbers have a whale of a problem: Season’s start delayed again

November 1, 2024 — California Dungeness crab, a staple of holiday celebrations for many West Coast families, won’t be widely available before early December and possibly not until next year – again.

For the sixth year in a row, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has delayed the start of the commercial crab fishing season through most of the state’s coast to protect endangered humpback whales from getting entangled in vertical fishing lines, which can result in injuries and death.

Dungeness crabs, larger, meatier and more abundant in California than other species, are treasured by locals as well as tourists, who frequently consume them at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The crustaceans are mostly found in the central and northern parts of the state.

Read the full article at USA TODAY

CALIFORNIA: San Francisco crab fisherman proposes radical change from traditional methods

March 15, 2023 — A local crab fisherman has come up with a simple idea that could allow crab pots to remain at sea while keeping migrating whales safe.

Crab fisherman who also fish for salmon during the year are facing double trouble.

Several fishing industry representatives say the upcoming salmon fishing season will likely be closed the entire year because of low counts. A decision is expected within weeks.

Now the crab season scheduled to end in June could be cut short.

However, there is a proposal that could lengthen the next crab season that fishermen say addresses the ongoing issue of whale entanglements.

Read the full article at CBS News

CALIFORNIA: Commercial crab season delayed again, set to start Dec. 1 north of Sonoma County

November 24, 2021 — An abundance of endangered whales still feeding off the California Coast has forced the continued delay of commercial crabbing off the shore of Monterey, San Francisco and Bodega bays, at least until Dec. 15.

The delay will help ensure marine animals don’t become entangled, according to state Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham.

The season will open Dec. 1 north of Sonoma County, allowing the harvest of North Coast Dungeness crab there to proceed on time, furnishing fresh crab for winter holiday feasts and an opportunity for some commercial crabbers to get some action even if they usually fish in areas that remain closed.

Read the full story at The Press Democrat

 

Safe Catch charts rapid growth, earns plastic neutral certification

April 21, 2021 — Safe Catch, which tests its tuna and salmon for mercury, is seeing high demand for its products in the U.S. and has plans to expand throughout the country and abroad.

The San Francisco, California-based supplier recently became the first rePurpose Certified Plastic Neutral seafood company via a partnership with rePurpose Global. The organization funds the collection, processing, and reuse of as much plastic waste as it uses across its packaging and operations, Safe Catch said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

California salmon season delayed and shortened, angering North Bay fishermen

March 17, 2021 — San Francisco Bay Area grocery stores and fish markets aren’t expected to be stocked with salmon this year, as fishery officials chose to delay the start of the season last week and restrict the time fishermen have on the water.

What’s the reason? It appears adult king salmon numbers from the Sacramento River fall run are projected by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council to be much smaller than last year’s. The state wants to protect more of the salmon navigating the rivers to spawn by shortening the season that they can be caught in the Pacific Ocean.

Expected to be decided within the next few weeks, there are three proposals on the table, all shorten the season considerably. The closest start may be May 1, instead of April.

Whatever decision is made, it is expected to be greeted with disappointment from commercial and sport fishing enthusiasts, tackle shops and other businesses reliant on this $1.4 billion industry that employs 23,000 people statewide, according to the Golden State Salmon Association. The group hosted a virtual conference to discuss the matter on March 12.

Attendee Tim Ely, who runs the Outdoor Pro Shop retailer in Cotati, estimates his store will lose $500,000 this year.

Read the full story at The North Bay Business Journal

CALIFORNIA: The San Francisco Bay Once Teemed With Oysters. What Happened?

March 5, 2021 — Oysters are a controversial food.

Some people slurp them down by the dozen, while others would rather go hungry for days than be forced to eat a single slimy specimen.

As one KQED staffer put it: “No matter how fresh they are, no matter where they come from, no matter what is put on them, it reminds me of being congested and having snot just slide down my throat.”

Bay Curious listener Joseph Fletcher falls into the first category: The San Francisco resident loves oysters and has been wondering if he’ll ever get the chance to eat one grown in San Francisco Bay.

“Will oysters ever make a comeback in the bay and return to the numbers they had back in the days before the Gold Rush?” Fletcher wanted to know.

There’s one type of oyster that’s indigenous to the San Francisco Bay, and that’s the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida). It’s named after Olympia, Washington, though these small, tangy oysters can be found up and down the west coast from Alaska all the way down into central Mexico.

Read the full story at KQED

CALIFORNIA: San Francisco area crabbers end holdout, move to “organized start”

January 12, 2021 — First came whales, then came a price most West Coast Dungeness crabbers deemed too low to fish for, but after nearly two months of having their gear at the ready, San Francisco area fishermen finally set their pots Monday, 11 January, at 8 a.m. They will begin hauling on Wednesday, 13 January, at the same time, under an “organized start” – agreed to by fleets out of Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, and Bodega Bay – to prevent a mad dash, shotgun start once a price had been agreed to.

“Holy Christ has this season been a mess,” Dick Ogg, who runs the F/V Karen Jeanne out of Bodega Bay, said. “But the fleet has really come together. If this works, which it looks like it will, it will be pretty amazing and will have a lasting imprint on the fleet.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source