California is set to double participation in a pilot program testing the use of pop-up fishing gear for harvesting Dungeness crab – a move that conversation groups say will lower the risk of whale entanglements in fishing gear.
Nineteen commercial California Dungeness crab fishers took part in the 2024 trials, testing a variety of alternative crabbing gears that don’t rely on vertical lines endangered humpback whales tend to be entangled by.
While the industry has been hesitant to accept the new gear types, participants in the 2024 pilot program were quick to praise the initiative, claiming the gear was effective.
“The pop-ups worked, and we brought home every trap that we set!” Half Moon Bay, California, crab fisher Steve Melz said in a statement put out by Guardian Ropeless Systems – one of the companies participating in the pilot. “The whole test is a complete success: crabbing again in front of home, no dirty buoys to clean, you never go to the wrong end of the string, and not to mention the better price that is paid for the crabs.”
Read the full story on Seafood Source. This article is republished with permission.
