Dungeness Crab Task Force

Updated May 22, 2023

The Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF) is a legislatively-mandated advisory body that reviews and evaluates Dungeness crab fishery management measures and provides recommendations to the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (JCFA), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Fish and Game Commission (FGC).

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is designated as the body responsible for convening and administering the California Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF) pursuant to Fish and Game Code Section 8276.4. Senate Bills 1690 (Wiggins, 2008) and 369 (Evans, 2011), and 1310 (McGuire, 2018) have amended this Fish and Game Code section.

The composition of the DCTF, as described in Fish and Game Code Section 8276.4, is comprised of various members, including commercial and recreational fishermen, a member representing commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) interests, crab processors, as well as non-voting members from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), California Sea Grant and CDFW. The 17 commercial fishermen are elected by their peers from the same respective port complex and production level. The DCTF is directed to review and evaluate Dungeness crab fishery management measures and provide its recommendations to the JCFA, the CDFW, and the FGC.

DUNGENESS CRAB FISHERY UPDATES: For links to the latest commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fishery information, please visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife crab homepage.

CDFW Announces Start Of Commercial Crab Fishery And Recreational Use Of Crab Traps In Fishing Zone 3” hyperlinked to https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/cdfw-announces-start-of-commercial-crab-fishery-and-recreational-use-of-crab-traps-in-fishing-zone-3

DCTF COMMERCIAL FISHING ELECTIONS

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) carry out DCTF commercial fishing elections as described in Fish and Game Code Section 8276.4. Commercial fishermen are elected to the DCTF by their peers to represent their home port complexes and production level. DCTF elections shall be held every three years in each port, on a staggered basis across ports.

The results of the DCTF Commercial Fishing Elections are available in the Current DCTF Member List. Future election processes are anticipated to follow a similar process as described below.

DCTF Election Process and Timelines
Elections are generally carried out with two separate mailings:

Mailing #1: Nomination Form: All valid California Dungeness crab permitholders receive a form in the mail to nominate individuals for the DCTF.
Mailing #2: Ballot: Ballots are compiled from the list of nominees. Permitholders from Eureka, Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay, and Non-resident California Dungeness crab permitholders will receive a ballot in 2023. Votes tallied from these ballots will determine the members who serve on the DCTF representing these port complexes.

2023 DCTF Election Documents:

Mailing #1:

Nomination Forms are due by Monday, April 10, 2023.

Group 2 Ports: Elections in 2023
If your vessel’s registered home port is in any of the following port complexes, you are eligible to vote in the Group 2 DCTF elections in 2020, 2023, and 2026:

Eureka (includes Shelter Cove and all ports within Humboldt Bay)
Bodega Bay (includes Bolinas and all ports within Tomales Bay)
Half Moon Bay
Non-resident California Dungeness crab permitholder (includes all out of state vessel port registrations designated as Unknown)

Group 1 Ports: Elections in 2025
If your vessel’s registered home port is in any of the following port complexes, you are eligible to vote in the Group 1 DCTF elections in 2019, 2022, 2025, and 2028:

Crescent City (includes all California ports north of Trinidad)
Trinidad
Fort Bragg (includes all ports in Mendocino County)
San Francisco (includes ports from within San Francisco Bay)
South of Half Moon Bay (includes all ports from Monterey Bay south)

DCTF MEMBERS AND OPERATING PROCEDURES

Dungeness Crab Task Force Members
DCTF Background and Operations – updated December 2021
DCTF Charter– updated October 2022
2021-23 Work Plan

DCTF CONTACT

To stay informed about upcoming meetings and other DCTF related activities, sign up for the DCTF email list. Please direct all questions and comments to info@dungenesscrabtaskforce.com.

OPC Staff: Noah Ben-Aderet, noah.ben-aderet@resources.ca.gov

DCTF MEETINGS

Upcoming DCTF meeting materials, or the most recent DCTF meeting materials, are listed below. All previous DCTF meetings and materials are archived here.

DCTF Meeting #14 – October 25-26, 2022 – Virtual

DCTF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Upcoming DCTF Executive Committee meeting materials, or the most recent DCTF Executive Committee meeting materials, are listed below. All previous Executive Committee meeting materials are archived here.

DCTF Executive Committee Meeting – May 25, 2023

DCTF Executive Committee Meeting – August 25, 2022

Public Solicitation for Non-Commercial Fishing Seats Now Open!

Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is seeking nominations for the following non-commercial fishing representatives on the Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF):

One nonvoting (1) member representing nongovernmental organization interests

If you are interested in representing crab processing or nongovernmental organization interests on the DCTF, please complete this brief two-page nomination form by June 1, 2021 at 5pm and email your completed form to Noah Ben-Aderet, Noah.Ben-Aderet@resources.ca.gov.

OPC staff will review nominees and recommend representatives for appointment to the Chair of the Ocean Protection Council, Secretary of Natural Resources, Wade Crowfoot. Recommendations will be based on experience and knowledge of the Dungeness crab fishery, experience with the DCTF, geographical balance, willingness and ability to effectively and respectfully collaborate among diverse perspectives, willingness and ability to represent others within their representative seat, and ability to consistently participate in DCTF meetings. OPC staff may contact nominees for brief interviews if needed. CDFW Law Enforcement Division will also contact nominees and determine if they are in good standing to represent the DCTF. Representatives are anticipated to be notified as soon as possible after June 1 and in advance of the next DCTF meeting planned for mid-October.

More information about DCTF appointments can be found below. The public solicitation notice is available for download here.

DCTF REPORTS

Legislatively-Mandated Reports

Report #12 – October 2022 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Fish and Game Commission on December 20, 2022
Report #11 – October 2021 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Fish and Game Commission on December 9, 2021
Report #10- March 2021 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as directed by Fish and Game Code 8276.4 – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game, and the Fish and Game Commission on April 1, 2021.
Report #9- October 2020 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as directed by Fish and Game Code 8276.4 – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game, and the Fish and Game Commission on December 9, 2020.
Report #8- October 2019 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as directed by Fish and Game Code 8276.4 – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game, and the Fish and Game Commission on December 10, 2019
Report #7- October 2017 recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as requested in SB 369 (Fish and Game Code 8276.4) – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game, and the Fish and Game Commission on December 20, 2017
Report #6- Final recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as requested in SB 369 (Fish and Game Code 8276.4) – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game, and the Fish and Game Commission on January 13, 2017
Report #5- Interim recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission on January 15, 2016
Report #4 – Initial recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force as requested in SB 369 (Fish and Game Code 8276.4) – Report submitted to the California Legislature, the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission on January 15, 2015
Report #3 – Recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force regarding regulations for the tiered trap limit program in accordance with SB369– Report submitted to the California Department of Fish and Game on April 27, 2012
Report #2 – Recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force regarding management of the fishery in accordance with SB1690– Report submitted to the California legislature, the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission on March 31, 2010
Report #1 – Recommendations from the California Dungeness Crab Task Force regarding management of the fishery in accordance with SB1690– Report submitted to the California legislature, the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission on January 15, 2010

Other Reports

DCTF’s Letter of Support for SB 80 (2020-21), submitted April 1, 2021
DCTF’s Letter of Opposition to AB 534 (2020-21), submitted March 29, 2021
DCTF’s public comment response to CDFW’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP): Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery, submitted June 29, 2020
DCTF Memorandum: Response to Tri-State Committee Request – Memo submitted to the Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee on May 9, 2014 in response to a request for the DCTF’s recommendations.
DCTF Memorandum: Response to Recreational Fishing Proposal – Memo submitted to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Commission on May 9, 2014 in response to a proposal forwarded to the DCTF regarding modifications to the recreational fishery.
DCTF Record of the Proceedings– Released November 2010- This document contains a comprehensive record of the work of the DCTF and is intended to guide future efforts in the Dungeness crab industry

Additional DCTF Informational Materials

PUBLIC COMMENT

All DCTF meeting are open to the public. Written public comment specific to a DCTF or DCTF Executive Committee meeting are requested a minimum of 24 hours in advance of a meeting. Comments should be sent to info@dungnesscrabtaskforce.com. Please review the DCTF’s guidelines for providing public comment to the Dungeness Crab Task Force.

Additionally, if DCTF Members and members of the public are interested in submitting requests for agenda items to be considered and discussed at upcoming DCTF and/or DCTF Executive Committee meetings, please review these Guidelines to Submit Requests DCTF & Executive Committee Agenda Items.

Comments and Proposals – Submitted by DCTF Members

Click here to read written proposals and comments by DCTF Members

Comments – Public and Agency

Click here to read written proposals and comments submitted for the DCTF’s consideration

RELATED RESOURCES

Cracked Crab_Rachelle Fisher

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DCTF NON-COMMERCIAL FISHING SEATS

Section 8276.4 of the Fish and Game Code states that seven members are appointed to the DCTF by the Chair of the Ocean Protection Council following a public solicitation for nominations. These seven members represent sport fishing, crab processing, commercial passenger fishing vessel, nongovernmental organization interests, and are as follows:

One voting (1) and one nonvoting (1) member representing sport fishing interests.
Two voting (2) members representing crab processing interests.
One voting (1) member representing commercial passenger fishing vessel interests.
Two nonvoting (2) members representing nongovernmental organization interests.

Those appointed to represent non-commercial fishing seats following the 2019 public solicitation process are included in the Current DCTF Member List.

The DCTF also includes nonvoting representatives from CDFW and California Sea Grant. Two nonvoting (2) members representing CDFW are appointed by CDFW. One nonvoting (1) representative of University of California Sea Grant is appointed by University of California Sea Grant.