Legal to Keep Female Dungeness Crabs?

November 24, 2011

Question: Is it legal to keep female Dungeness crab that meet the minimum size requirements or do they have to be thrown back? I see a lot of people keeping only the males and tossing the females back and so wonder if the regulations require that only the males can be kept? (Josh M., Oakland)

Answer: Sport fisherman may keep the female Dungeness crab – commercial fishermen must throw them back. Since the females are often much smaller and less meaty than the males and lack the large claws, many fishermen toss them back so they can reproduce more young for future generations. The larger females that meet the minimum size requirements also carry the most eggs and produce the most offspring, so it’s beneficial for the population to let the females go. However, there is no law that compels you to do so.

November 24, 2011

Question: Is it legal to keep female Dungeness crab that meet the minimum size requirements or do they have to be thrown back? I see a lot of people keeping only the males and tossing the females back and so wonder if the regulations require that only the males can be kept? (Josh M., Oakland)

Answer: Sport fisherman may keep the female Dungeness crab – commercial fishermen must throw them back. Since the females are often much smaller and less meaty than the males and lack the large claws, many fishermen toss them back so they can reproduce more young for future generations. The larger females that meet the minimum size requirements also carry the most eggs and produce the most offspring, so it’s beneficial for the population to let the females go. However, there is no law that compels you to do so.

So if I go out of Trinidad on a chartered boat to fish for bottom fish and the captain has traps, can I keep the females or am I bound by that law and must return the females? 

If you are on a charter, you are a sport angler, and can keep females. 

If you are on a charter, you are a sport angler, and can keep females.

We didn't, but then again, the traps were full of crabs, plenty to pick from.  But I like the idea of throwing back the females, good for the future.

Hmmm, good question! Are CPFV's classified as commercial...and thus have to release females? Because I'm pretty sure their regs DO vary from sport fishermen...in that they can only take 6 dungies/person (instead of 10/person).

Only keeping 6 on a charter boat is only Sonoma county south, Mendocino county north sport anglers on charters can keep 10. This is because the commercial crabbers complained that charter boats were taking too much crab .

Hmmm, good question! Are CPFV's classified as commercial...and thus have to release females? Because I'm pretty sure their regs DO vary from sport fishermen...in that they can only take 6 dungies/person (instead of 10/person).

That reg only applies in certain counties and says nothing about gender.