Starting May 1, a reduced pot limit and 14-day landing requirement will be in effect for the Washington coastal Dungeness crab fishery.

The intent of these requirements is to reduce the risk of whales becoming entangled in commercial crab gear by reducing the number of lines in the water during the peak time when humpback whales are present off the Washington coast.

Effective May 1 through September 15:

Licenses with a permanent pot limit of 500 will be assigned a reduced pot limit of 330 pots.

Licenses with a permanent pot limit of 300 will be assigned a reduced pot limit of 200 pots.

It is unlawful to leave Dungeness crab pots deployed in waters of the Pacific Ocean, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay or the Columbia River for more than 14 consecutive days without making a Dungeness crab landing.

Summer buoy tags

In conjunction with the reduced pot limit, license holders that plan to participate on or after May 1 must purchase summer buoy tags. Summer buoy tags will ensure compliance with the reduced pot limit and allow for the removal of lost or abandoned crab gear prior to the end of the season. This in-season gear recovery furthers measures to reduce the risk of entanglements with humpback whales.

Summer tags may be attached to gear starting April 15. As a reminder, regular season tags must remain on your gear until May 1, so both tags will need to be attached to your gear if you decide to attach summer tags prior to May 1.

All regular season tags must be removed from gear by May 1 or as soon as possible after May 1. Gear recovery will begin on May 1, 2025. Any gear left in the ocean after May 1 without summer tags will be subject to gear recovery. More information about in-season gear recovery will be provided in a future notice.