California's crab fishery is changing. New rules going into effect November 1, 2020, are designed to protect whales and other marine mammals from getting entangled but the changes will cost fishermen trying to make a living."Financially it is going to be impacting our income at least by half," said crab fisherman David Toriumi.The new regulations require closures or reductions in the number of traps in Dungeness Crab fishing areas when there are high concentrations of whales and turtles and it allows the state to close areas during the season if there are confirmed entanglements. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be doing area surveillance of fishing grounds, including the Monterey Bay, and determining when there are enough animals to warrant closure."We are making sure that when the season starts whales and the turtles that might be at risk of entanglement have largely mostly left the area," said Geoff Shester with Oceana an organization that has been pushing the state to change the fishery's rules.In recent years the number of entanglements of animals has been increasing with entanglements peaking in 2016 with 56 reported whale entanglements. Scientists say this is likely because whales and turtles are moving closer to shore in search of food putting them in the path of crab pot lines.Oceana and other conservation groups have been working with fishermen, including Toriumi to design and test safer crabbing methods, specifically pop-up gear. Traditional crab gear is dangerous for whales because vertical fishing lines in the water connecting the trap to the buoy can entangle marine mammals as they swim. the buoys, line and trap can sit for a day at a time leaving a window of time for entanglements.Pop-up gear eliminates the need for a buoy and vertical line to sit in the water. Instead, the trap is deployed to the seafloor with a pop-up device and only when fishermen signal to the device is a vertical line deployed so they can pull up the trap. Because it is safer pop-up gear would be allowed in areas closed to traditional equipment.Toriumi has tested some of the new equipment says some work and some do not work."You can come up with a million different ideas that may work on paper but when you are out in the ocean safety is No. 1 and efficiency is No. 2," said Toriumi.The longtime fisherman said right now his crew is efficient but the new gear could cost them time and money, not to mention the initial investment it takes to buy new equipment. "Obviously a lot of money in these pots already put in and to buy another piece of equipment for it, I think would be pretty detrimental to a lot of the small guys," said Toriumi.Shester said the Monterey Bay and all Dungeness Crab fishing areas are moving into Crab Fishery 2.0. Shester said allowing the entanglement of endangered species could not be allowed to continue in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and he is hopeful the new gear will allow both fishermen and marine animals to coexist."Every animal counts and we want to just make sure that we can have an ocean and our crab that is caught in a whale safe way," said Shester.The pop-up gear is still in the testing phase. The California Ocean Protection Council has given $500,000 to purchase units and outfit boats to test which devices work best. In addition to being allowed in areas closed to traditional equipment pop-up gear is also allowed later in the spring when the traditional crab season ends. This change could potentially extend the live crab season for fishermen like Toriumi."I am trying to be optimistic as much as I can and I have been involved as much as I can and I have been but it is one of those fights that we are in to literally keep our boats and our families and our houses together," said Toriumi.The fishermen have already had to move his operation from Monterey Bay to Half Moon Bay two hours away from his home because of increased regulation in recent years.
California's crab fishery is changing. New rules going into effect November 1, 2020, are designed to protect whales and other marine mammals from getting entangled but the changes will cost fishermen trying to make a living.
"Financially it is going to be impacting our income at least by half," said crab fisherman David Toriumi.
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The new regulations require closures or reductions in the number of traps in Dungeness Crab fishing areas when there are high concentrations of whales and turtles and it allows the state to close areas during the season if there are confirmed entanglements. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be doing area surveillance of fishing grounds, including the Monterey Bay, and determining when there are enough animals to warrant closure.
"We are making sure that when the season starts whales and the turtles that might be at risk of entanglement have largely mostly left the area," said Geoff Shester with Oceana an organization that has been pushing the state to change the fishery's rules.
In recent years the number of entanglements of animals has been increasing with entanglements peaking in 2016 with 56 reported whale entanglements. Scientists say this is likely because whales and turtles are moving closer to shore in search of food putting them in the path of crab pot lines.
Oceana and other conservation groups have been working with fishermen, including Toriumi to design and test safer crabbing methods, specifically pop-up gear. Traditional crab gear is dangerous for whales because vertical fishing lines in the water connecting the trap to the buoy can entangle marine mammals as they swim. the buoys, line and trap can sit for a day at a time leaving a window of time for entanglements.
Pop-up gear eliminates the need for a buoy and vertical line to sit in the water. Instead, the trap is deployed to the seafloor with a pop-up device and only when fishermen signal to the device is a vertical line deployed so they can pull up the trap. Because it is safer pop-up gear would be allowed in areas closed to traditional equipment.
Toriumi has tested some of the new equipment says some work and some do not work.
"You can come up with a million different ideas that may work on paper but when you are out in the ocean safety is No. 1 and efficiency is No. 2," said Toriumi.
The longtime fisherman said right now his crew is efficient but the new gear could cost them time and money, not to mention the initial investment it takes to buy new equipment.
"Obviously a lot of money in these pots already put in and to buy another piece of equipment for it, I think would be pretty detrimental to a lot of the small guys," said Toriumi.
Shester said the Monterey Bay and all Dungeness Crab fishing areas are moving into Crab Fishery 2.0. Shester said allowing the entanglement of endangered species could not be allowed to continue in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and he is hopeful the new gear will allow both fishermen and marine animals to coexist.
"Every animal counts and we want to just make sure that we can have an ocean and our crab that is caught in a whale safe way," said Shester.
The pop-up gear is still in the testing phase. The California Ocean Protection Council has given $500,000 to purchase units and outfit boats to test which devices work best. In addition to being allowed in areas closed to traditional equipment pop-up gear is also allowed later in the spring when the traditional crab season ends. This change could potentially extend the live crab season for fishermen like Toriumi.
"I am trying to be optimistic as much as I can and I have been involved as much as I can and I have been but it is one of those fights that we are in to literally keep our boats and our families and our houses together," said Toriumi.
The fishermen have already had to move his operation from Monterey Bay to Half Moon Bay two hours away from his home because of increased regulation in recent years.
October 28, 2020 at 09:22AM
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Changes to crab fishery aim to protect whales from entanglement - KSBW Monterey
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