A recent trial of innovative ropeless crab fishing gear off the California coast has sparked a heated debate within the Dungeness crab fishing community. While some accept the technology as a breakthrough in reducing whale entanglements, others view it as another complication in an already struggling industry.
Many commercial crabbers remain angry about the trial because it allowed a minimal number of fishermen to fish during the end of the Dungeness breeding season when crabs would typically be biting. This trial, the most extensive testing of pop-up fishing gear to date off the coast of California, allowed select participants to fish during restricted times from April 9 to June 30.
Fishermen who have faced years of economic setbacks from shortened crab seasons and the closure of the king salmon fishery are wary of embracing new gear. Concerns about conversion costs, reliability, and the risk of unintended consequences have created significant pushback among many crabbers.
The trial involved 19 commercial boats to test the viability of pop-up gear. There were over 277 fishing trips and 2361 strings of gear consisting of a total of 23,048 ropeless traps. While most took part in the trial to evaluate the gear firsthand, they acknowledge the learning curve that came with it.
According to sources, local Dungeness crab fishermen Dick Ogg, and Lisa Damrosch, shared that when components of ropeless gear failed, it had to be retrieved with grappling hooks, further suggesting that grappling for gear on its own might be cheaper but viable to traditional gear.
Ogg is a highly respected leader and president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association; he has worked tirelessly on solutions to whale entanglements in the Dungeness crab industry. Damrosch is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, which focuses on sustainability and the future of commercial fishing.
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