The Bay Area’s commercial Dungeness crab season can begin Jan. 5, state officials announced Friday, now that many of the migrating behemoths of the sea have safely made their way down the coast.
The decision comes after a series of delays since November meant to protect whales from getting tangled in fishing lines, and it comes with a key restriction: Fleets will have to operate under a 40 percent trap reduction.
Since 2015, there have been delays in all but one commercial Dungeness season in the Bay Area. A toxin, domoic acid, that could sicken anyone who eats the tainted crab, destroyed Northern California’s 2015-2016 commercial season and created delays in other years.
Traditionally, California’s commercial season begins Nov. 15 and the recreational season earlier than that.
This is a developing story. Come back for updates.