US harvesters of Dungeness crab off California's north coast have been testing new gear to avoid entanglements with migrating whales, ABC7 in San Francisco reports. That's to avoid early shutdowns of the lucrative fishery, which have been a source of frustration for the commercial fleet.

The new technology involves remote-controlled traps to eliminate the floating recovery lines that are blamed for entangling passing whales and prompting California fisheries regulators to close the fishery.

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The ropeless devices allow the fishing crew to locate an individual trap lying on the seabed and release the recovery line remotely. This is supposed to limit the time a whale can come in contact with the gear and avoid entanglements with conventional lines used in most crab fisheries. 

Nearly 20 California crab fishermen took part in a recent gear trial, the largest ever on California's coast. After deploying more than 23,000 traps, crews could recover them with a 98% reliability rate while harvesting nearly 230,000 pounds of Dungeness crab, the television station reported. They say the catch is worth an estimated $1.6 million.

"Yeah, it was an absolute success. I mean, it was the first request in the way of the performance of the gear," crab fisherman Brand Little told the TV station.

Crabbers question results of gear trial

But not all crabbers are on board. And they they question the study's methodology. 

"My concern," Ben Platt, president of the California Coast Crab Association, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat newspaper, "is that the people who are doing the reporting are the people who have a vested interest in the gear type getting approved."

The longtime crab fisherman said his members wanted to see additional trials and third-party monitoring before regulators authorize remote-controlled pop-up gear for use outside of an experimental permit.

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Some are also reportedly upset, the newspaper reported, about the recent trial because it allowed a limited number of harvesters to set gear -- from April 9 through June 30 -- when Dungeness crabs were finishing their breeding season and getting ready to start biting again, allowing a select few to cash in while the rest of the fleet was on the beach.

Study sponsors are sharing the results with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CFW), which regulates the fishery. General approval isn't expected until spring 2026.

CFW environmental scientist Ryan Bartling told Undercurrent News that the Dungeness crab fishery could open as early as Nov. 15 and Dec. 1, depending on the management area. However, a hard date has not been set as biologists continue to monitor whale migrations off the coast.

"The exact opening dates will not be announced until the department begins conducting risk assessments in late October," Bartling said by email.