Oregon Coast Crabbing Petition Denied, Rulemaking Process Remains on Course

Published 02/21/26 at 4:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Springfield, Oregon) – For now, the behind-the-scenes work on ending whale entanglement off the Oregon coast will remain the same in process, with no extra layers of meetings or public input involved that weren't there before.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 6-1 on Friday to deny a petition seeking additional rule changes aimed at reducing whale entanglements in the state’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery. Commissioners instead urged the department to continue its ongoing 2026 rulemaking process and its work with NOAA Fisheries to secure Endangered Species Act coverage for the fishery.

Whale entanglements have risen along the West Coast since 2014, a trend linked to a growing humpback whale population, shifting ocean conditions that increase overlap with crab gear, and improved reporting. Most humpbacks found off Oregon are listed as Threatened or Endangered.

The decision followed extensive public input, including hundreds of pages of written comments and testimony from nearly 70 people at Friday’s meeting in Springfield. Crab fishermen, conservation groups behind the petition - including the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Cetacean Society - and several coastal elected officials all weighed in. Rep. Boice of Curry County spoke on behalf of Oregon’s coastal caucus.

Photo NOAA

“Accepting the petition would not have changed any rules but directed ODFW to conduct a public rulemaking process, with any proposed rule changes considered at a future public meeting and after an additional public process,” ODFW said.

ODFW staff recommended accepting the petition as a way to reinforce transparency and ensure economic impacts were fully considered.

Director Debbie Colbert told commissioners the department’s recommendation was essentially to stay the course on the planned 2026 rulemaking. That work includes reviewing existing entanglement-reduction measures and considering experimental permits for testing pop-up and longline gear, along with potential requirements for electronic vessel monitoring.

Humpbacks around Astoria - Seaside Aquarium

The 2026 effort is part of a broader strategy launched in 2019 to reduce entanglement risk while maintaining a viable fishery. A key component is development of a Conservation Plan required to obtain a federal Incidental Take Permit under the Endangered Species Act. ODFW is working with NOAA Fisheries to complete the plan, a process that can take several years.

“We have been working actively to pursue a CP and submitted a partial plan to NOAA Fisheries last year,” said Fish Division Administrator Mike Harrington, noting that federal staffing shortages and the government shutdown may have slowed progress. He said the agency recently received feedback from NOAA and expects to submit a final plan this year.

In other action, the Commission voted 6-1 to adopt a Final Order concerning the Winchester Water Control District. The order affirms an Administrative Law Judge’s finding that the district violated fish passage laws in 2023 and requires installation of fish passage meeting department criteria at Winchester Dam by 2030.

A recording of the ’s meeting is available at their YouTube channel.

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