Inclusion of state managed Dungeness crab fisheries in an effort to reduce whale entanglements are being postponed indefinitely, due to funding cuts by President Donal Trump to NOAA.
NOAA officials overseeing the scope of the upcoming West Coast Take Reduction Team said on April 16 that NOAA will proceed with convening the team to address the federal sablefish pot fishery in compliance with court orders – including establishing a team specific to this fishery by Oct. 31. The schedule calls for convening the first meeting by Nov. 30.
Simultaneously, NOAA scientists will develop bycatch estimates to better reflect the total number and impact of humpback whale entanglements in state-managed pot fisheries off the West Coast, including Dungeness crab, the agency said. From there, plans are to evaluate the best available science and requirements under both the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammals Protection Act to manage the impacts of West Cost fisheries on protected marine mammals.
NOAA Fisheries anticipates this will include reconvening and adopting the Take Reduction Team to address other fisheries, including state Dungeness crab pot fisheries, they said.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), meanwhile, announced plans to conduct an assessment of marine life entanglement risk for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery on or around April 21, using the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program. Prior to that time the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group was to review available data and the agency’s preliminary assessment.
CDFW officials said the director would consider all data made available to the department prior to determining the appropriate management action to minimize entanglement risk and that all materials would be posted on the Whale Safe Fisheries webpage as they became available.
On April 14, the international ocean advocacy association Oceana urged states to do more to prevent whale entanglements in Pacific commercial Dungeness crab fisheries. Oceana’s call for state help was prompted by an announcement on the first day of the Pacific Fishery Management Council by NOAA West Coast Regional Administrator Jennifer Quan regarding funding cuts.
Oceana noted that the Take Reduction Plan created through a Take Reduction Team is necessary for states to obtain required permits so the fisheries can operate legally – including meeting standards of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act when it comes to harm to whales and other animals.
NOAA cited reports of 36 confirmed whale entanglements in 2024 known to have occurred in West Coast Fisheries, the highest number of confirmed entanglements since 2018. Fourteen of those entanglements were confirmed to be in Dungeness crab fishing gear originating from fisheries off California, Oregon and Washington. Any incidents of such entanglements in Alaska Dungeness fisheries were not available.
West Coast state managers have been deferring to the launch of the new Take Reduction Team previously scheduled to begin this spring to establish science-based limits on threatened and endangered humpback whale entanglements.
“The Trump administration’s latest cuts harm whales and create uncertainty for West Coast fisheries,” said Geoff Shester, Oceana’s California campaign director. “They should reverse course immediately and follow the law.”
