U.S. State of California Approves Pop-Up Gear to Reduce Whale Entanglements | Oceana

Victory | December 31, 2025

U.S. State of California Approves Pop-Up Gear to Reduce Whale Entanglements

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved ropeless pop-up gear as a whale-safe alternative that can be used in place of conventional gear if the California Dungeness crab fishery is closed to protect whales from April 1 to July 15. This victory follows years of campaigning and at-sea gear testing by Oceana and its allies to protect humpback whales from becoming entangled in the vertical lines used in conventional gear to catch these crabs. Previous trials of pop-up gear have proven to safeguard whales while still allowing for a profitable crab fishery.