California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group – October 2018 Recommendations Memo

Since September 2015, the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group (Working Group), a
diverse multi-stakeholder group, has been taking steps to identify and reduce risk of whale entanglements in Dungeness crab fishing gear. During the 2017-18 fishing season, the Working Group piloted a Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) to support the state in working with experts—agencies, fishermen, researchers, representatives from environmental organizations (NGOs), and others—to identify and assess elevated levels of entanglement risk, explore information needs, and determine the need for management options that could be recommended to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This October 2018 Recommendations Memo provides updates and 2018-19 recommendations to advance the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) and reduce whale entanglements. For more information, please visit the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group homepage, and the RAMP homepage.