FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2015, file photo, crab fisherman Jim Anderson poses by his crab pots in Half Moon Bay, Calif. California Gov. Jerry Brown announced Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, that he signed legislation meant to bring down the record numbers of whales getting caught in fishing gear meant for Dungeness crabs, causing unknown numbers of the entangled mammals to drown or starve. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
The commercial Dungeness crab season along the Northern California coast is being delayed again. The director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced yesterday an additional 15-day delay for Fish and Game districts along the coasts of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. That decision affects our local fishermen too. The opening is now set for December 31st, preceded by a 64-hour period for gear setting. Further tests are planned for December 22nd, and if the seafood is not yet ready for harvesting and if quality remains low the opening could be further delayed to January 15th.