Sacramento, CA – Today, the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the commercial Dungeness Crab season will officially open south of the Mendocino-Sonoma county line next week, December 15 after a delay due to the risk of whale entanglement.

“The North Coast is crab country and thousands have been eager to enjoy fresh Dungeness crab at the holiday dinner table. We’re thrilled to see the season kicking off next week, south of the Mendocino-Sonoma County line, and we’re grateful to the fleet for pausing the season launch to reduce the risk of whale entanglement,” Senator Mike McGuire said. “We’ll continue to work with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, monitoring crab quality in the north, and we're anxious to see the season open up in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties in the coming weeks.”

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