ODFW Implements Changes Aimed at Cutting Chances of Whale Entanglement Off Oregon Coast

Published 01/25/26 at 8:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) – Some changes to the crabbing industry off the Oregon coast are underway, as state officials introduce new rules that aim to cut back on the chances of a whale entanglement. Photo NOAA: whale carcass near Nehalem.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) just announced this week that it will implement its “late-season” commercial Dungeness crab regulations a month earlier in the year – starting this year. This action shifts the start date from May 1 to April 1 in an effort to reduce humpback whale entanglements.

Beginning in April, commercial crabbers must operate in waters shallower than 40 fathoms, cut their pot use by 20 percent, and attach a designated late-season buoy tag to every pot.

ODFW Marine Resources Program Manager Justin Ainsworth said new research shows earlier restrictions could significantly reduce the risk to whales.

“Whale distribution in Oregon waters varies each year, but limiting commercial Dungeness crab fishing to shallower waters in April will help reduce overlap with crab gear,” he said.

ODFW said humpback whale numbers along the West Coast continue to rise, and with that growth has come an increase in interactions with crab gear. Federal officials linked three humpback entanglements in 2024 and four in 2025 to Oregon’s commercial crab fishery, including a juvenile whale that stranded alive near Yachats last November.

Investigation of Young Whale Incident on Oregon Coast Already Makes New Finds - Commercial crabbing gear was a part after all, among other findings.

In a December 2025 advisory, ODFW warned the fleet that additional regulatory action was likely for the 2025–26 season. The agency followed through this week, issuing an industry notice confirming the earlier start to late-season rules.

Incident in November - photo Leigh Torres / Hatfield Marine Science Center

Meanwhile, the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission is letting crabbers and the public know that ODFW is accepting comments on other proposed changes – see the post at the bottom of their page. Comments are accepted into March.

State officials emphasized that reducing entanglement risk is part of maintaining a sustainable fishery that generates more than $230 million annually for coastal communities and supports roughly 3,000 jobs.

Sightings of entangled whales or sea turtles should be reported immediately to the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline at 1-877-SOS-WHALE (1-877-767-9425).

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