Oregon crabbers and environmentalists are at odds as a commission votes on rules to protect whales

By ED KOMENDA
Associated Press

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is set to consider extending rules restricting the number of crab traps in the water and how deep they can drop in the late-season months when humpback whales are more likely to swim there. The move Friday comes as Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery contends with warming oceans, undersized crabs and increased concerns about whale entanglements. The fishery is one of the backbones of the Pacific Northwest’s fishing industry. Oregon crabbers landed more than 17 million pounds of crab and delivered a record $91 million in crab in 2021-2022 due to high market prices.