Concerns raised at crab-fishing hearing
California has proposed new rules intended to prevent whales and sea turtles from becoming entangled in crab-fishing gear off the state’s coast, but Humboldt County’s crabbing advocates on Monday called some of the regulations “arbitrary” and “burdensome.”
A public hearing held by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife brought out a number of local stakeholders in the crabbing industry. The rules suggest closing the season early when there are a certain number of humpback whales, blue whales and sea turtles in the water off the coast.
In an effort to curb a one-sizefits-all format of regulating whale entanglements, the state has proposed separating the California coast into five zones. One zone includes all areas north of Horse Mountain and south of Crescent City — a region that includes Humboldt and Trinidad bays.
But 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell, at Monday’s hearing, called the zones “arbitrary,” saying “they basically do not reflect the reality on the ground, or in the water, if you will.”
“Somebody fishing in Shelter Cove (in Southern Humboldt) that goes a little bit north of Horse Mountain is now going to have to travel 87 miles just to land their fish,” Fennell said.
State officials have suggested transitioning the crab-fishing industry to rope-less gear, so that whales and sea turtles cannot become entangled during the crabbing season (which begins in the winter months).
Officials have said they want to make rope-less gear less expensive to gradually make them ubiquitous in the fishing industry.
“The alternative gear should not allow fishing gear to include vertical lines, because those are the part of the fishing gear that entangles endangered animals,” said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
The proposed emerged regulations emerged as a result of a settlement between the center and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Monday’s hearing occurred at the conclusion of a 45day public comment period on the rules.
Critics of rope-less gear showed up to Monday’s hearing, including Ben Platt, an advocate from the California Coast Crab Association, who criticized the idea of new gear technology being a “silver bullet” to stop entanglements.
“It is presently impractical, overly complicated, grossly expensive, and it would litter the ocean unnecessarily with lost gear,” Platt said. “For these and numerous other reasons, it is infeasible and it would never be feasible.”
The state had assembled a working group of crabfishing industry stakeholders to advise on new regulations. Susan Rotwein, a member of the working group, said her and others’ recommendations were only partially reflected in the proposed rules.
Rotwein specifically criticized the extensiveness of reporting requirements for crab fishermen under the new rules, saying it would be an “unduly burdensome” contingency.