At a Friday meeting of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, commissioners approved rules that will let commercial crabbers test ropeless crabbing gear as early as spring 2027. The move follows a decade of state actions – including extra late‑season crabbing tags and limits on the number and depth of pots – intended to curb the growing number of whale entanglements off Oregon’s coast.
How the new gear works
Traditional crab gear uses hundreds of traps anchored to the ocean floor by vertical lines that rise to a buoy on the surface. Whales can become tangled in those lines, often with fatal results. The proposed pop‑up system stores the line and buoy with the trap on the seafloor. When a timer or release mechanism is triggered, the line uncoils and the buoy rises, allowing fishermen to retrieve the catch while leaving a clear path for marine life.
Because current law requires every pot to be marked at the surface, the gear is presently unlawful. The commission’s new rule would allow the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue experimental permits for the pop‑up system, with the possibility of broader authorization if trials prove effective.
Whale entanglements remain a serious threat
National Marine Fisheries Service data show at least 400 whales have been caught in fishing gear along the West Coast between 2015 and 2025. Humpback whales are most frequently entangled, as their feeding season overlaps the crabbing season and warming ocean waters push feeding grounds closer to shore. Oregon supports two humpback populations, one listed as threatened and the other as endangered. In 2025, four humpback whales were confirmed entangled in Oregon’s Dungeness crab gear – the highest annual total recorded.
Industry response
Some Oregon fishermen expressed concern about the cost and durability of the monitoring equipment required by the new rule. Ray Monroe, a Pacific City fisherman, noted that “electronics on these dories are constantly destroyed” and questioned the reasonableness of adding another fragile device. Cary Johnson of Astoria asked the commission to exempt small vessels, emphasizing the shared desire to keep whales out of gear.
Other fishermen cited positive experiences in California, where experimental permits for pop‑up gear began in 2023. Commercial fisherman Brand Little, originally skeptical, reported that the gear worked well during a closed salmon season and that the investment paid off within weeks. He estimated an average spend of $30,000 for a conversion that yielded a quick return.
Funding and oversight
The department has secured federal funding to reimburse permit holders up to $800 for equipment costs. Commissioners also voted to require all participating vessels to share real‑time location data via cellular networks, enabling managers to enforce closed areas and monitor fleet movements.
Conservation groups welcomed the new rules but warned that the state’s draft conservation plan still permits up to 67 humpback entanglements over 15 years – roughly four per year – a figure they argue normalizes the worst recent outcomes. Oceana senior scientist Ben Enticknap reminded the commission that only about one in five entanglements are detected, suggesting the true toll may be higher.
Looking ahead
If the experimental trials demonstrate a measurable reduction in whale injuries, the commission could consider expanding the program statewide. For now, Oregon’s approach mirrors California’s efforts while preserving the state’s longer crabbing season, offering fishermen a potential path to protect marine life without sacrificing their livelihood.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
