I … Bay Area crab connoisseurs will have to wait until next month for a taste of Dungeness crab, as the Department of Fish and Wildlife has once again pushed back the start date of the commercial season. December 2019 December 15. First, Northern California commercial crab season was delayed for a month to mid-December. (Frankie Frost/Special to … The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s) annual Ocean Sport Fishing regulations booklet and Commercial Fishing Regulations Digest are now available on the CDFW website. SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DEC. 15: The first commercial Dungeness crab of the season arrives aboard the fishing boat Another Story, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, at Pier 45 in San Francisco, Calif. 2019-20 commercial crab fishing season opening weekly updates. (Frankie Frost/Special to … NEWPORT, Ore. – The opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season will be delayed from Dec. 1 until at least Dec. 16 along the entire Oregon coast as testing shows crabs are too low in meat yield. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife pushed back the season to lower the risk of whales getting entangled in fishing lines. NEWPORT, Ore. – The opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season will be delayed from Dec. 1 until at least Dec. 16 along the entire Oregon coast as testing shows crabs are too low in meat yield. Recreational crabbing is not allowed from vessels licensed for commercial Dungeness crab fishing. As part of a court settlement CDFW agreed to new rules in 2018, and the 2018-2019 crabbing season was closed two and a half months earlier than scheduled. The commercial Dungeness crab season was expected to kick off Friday but was delayed over concerns about whale entanglements. In a memo released today, CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham delayed the northern California commercial Dungeness crab season due to poor crab meat quality test results. Review crab measurement methods (PDF) and the current California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet for more Dungeness crab fishing information. Southeast Alaska Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Closure Announcement (PDF 139 kB) - 2/20/20 2019/2020 Southeast Alaska Commercial Golden King Crab Fishery North Stephens Passage Area Closure Date Announcement (PDF 32 kB) - 2/19/20 2019/2020 Southeast Alaska Commercial Tanner Crab Fishing Season Announcement (PDF 271 kB) - 2/17/20 In accordance with the Tri-State protocol (pdf) pre-season testing in Oregon will begin in early November. The commercial Dungeness crab fishing season in the San Francisco Bay Area has begun after a monthlong delay.