Marine life entanglement information and resources

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Photo by WDFW

An increase in marine life entanglements has occurred in recent years along the U.S. West Coast relative to rates recorded prior to 2013. Commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear collectively makes up the largest portion of identifiable gear found in West Coast entanglement cases (NOAA 2021 (PDF)). Large whale and marine turtle species are among those most impacted by fishing gear entanglements off the West Coast, and these animals are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and/or the Endangered Species Act. To bring the fishery into compliance with federal regulations and reduce its impact on protected marine species moving forward, WDFW has committed to submitting an Incidental Take Permit application and working with the Washington Dungeness crab industry to develop an accompanying Conservation Plan (CP).

This CP will guide the Department’s work toward securing a vibrant, thriving future for both the crab fishery and for recovering whale and turtle populations. WDFW has a demonstrated record of utilizing a precautionary approach to managing the coastal Dungeness crab fishery, as evidenced by the limited number of licenses issued to participate in the fishery, the restricted growth of vessel size within the fleet, and implemented reductions in the number of pots that can be deployed by each license holder. Working closely with members of the Washington Dungeness crab industry in an effort to reduce impacts to the fleet and to protected species, WDFW has recently taken further steps in this management approach, adopting additional pot reductions during months when whales are present and expanding an aggressive lost gear recovery program.

This page offers links and resources for interested members of industry and the public to stay up-to-date as the agency and industry members work together on the development of the CP and the implementation of management measures aimed at addressing the impacts of entanglement on protected species.