The commercial Dungeness crab season has been delayed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, from its scheduled start in January. The delay is attributed to the unusually high levels of Demoic Acid in sample testing of the Crab.Crescent City and Del Norte County are located in Zone 1, from the State line though the Sonoma/ Mendocino County line.In Zones 3 and 4, crabbing will remain restricted but for a different reason: the presence of humpback whales and possible entanglement issues pose a danger to the sea mammals heading south. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop Nets and crab stairs, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction in these areas. Traps cannot be used south of Point Arguello. In addition, a Fleet Advisory has been issued for all fishing zones for the recreational fishery.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');The commercial Dungeness crab fishery was scheduled to open November 15, in Zones 3,4,5 and 6 but has been delayed due to the high abundance of humpback whales and subsequent entanglementissues. The next risk assessment is set for December 1.For up-to-date information, please refer to the CFDW website: wildlife.ca gov/crab. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });