Crab trap regulation change

The actual language is clear - only a main and a marker.  The main can be bigger than 5” diameter and 11” length.  The marker must be red and exactly 3” diameter and 5” long.

c) Crab traps:
(1) Crab traps shall have at least two rigid circular openings of not less than four and one-quarter inches inside diameter so constructed that the lowest portion of each opening is no lower than five inches from the top of the trap.
(2) Crab traps shall contain at least one destruct device of a single strand of untreated cotton twine size No. 120 or less that creates an unobstructed escape opening in the top or upper half of the trap of at least five inches in diameter when the destruct attachment material corrodes or fails.
(3) Trap Gear Identification: Every crab trap shall be marked with only a main buoy and a marker buoy, except as noted under subsection 29.80(c)(3)(C) below.
(A) A main buoy is a surface buoy that is at least 5 inches in diameter and 11 inches in length.
1. The main buoy for traps deployed by an individual shall be legibly marked with the operator's assigned GO ID number.
2. The main buoy for traps deployed from a commercial passenger fishing vessel shall be legibly marked to identify the commercial boat registration number of that vessel.
(B) A marker buoy is a red buoy 3 inches in diameter and 5 inches in length attached no more than 3 feet from the main buoy.
(C) In addition to marking the buoy pursuant to subsection (c)(3)(A)2., traps deployed by commercial passenger fishing vessels shall be legibly marked to identify the commercial boat registration number of the vessel.
(4) Crab traps shall not be deployed and used in ocean waters seven days prior to the opening of the Dungeness crab season.
(5) Every crab trap shall be raised, cleaned, and emptied (serviced) at intervals not to exceed 9 days, weather conditions at sea permitting, and no crab trap shall be abandoned in the waters of this state.
(6) Trap Limits:
(A) An individual shall not operate more than 10 deployed traps, except an individual may service up to 10 additional traps if the individual has in possession written permission from the operator(s) of the additional traps whose gear are identified in accordance with subsection (c)(3)(A)1.
(B) A commercial passenger fishing vessel shall not deploy more than 60 traps per vessel.
(7) Starting at least 5 days in advance of the opening of the recreational Dungeness crab fishing season pursuant to Section 29.85, the director shall, on at least a monthly basis until the season opens statewide and March 1 through June 15, evaluate and respond to risk of humpback whales, blue whales, and/or Pacific leatherback sea turtle entanglement with recreational crab fishing gear as follows:
(A) The director shall evaluate entanglement risk based on marine life concentrations as defined in subsection 132.8(a)(10), Title 14, CCR, and consistent with the acceptable data and numerical triggers outlined in subsection 132.8(c)(2).
1. If data are available, and marine life concentrations meet the numerical triggers for any species as specified in subsection 132.8(c)(2)(A)4. (in the fall) or 132.8(c)(2)(B) (in the spring), the director shall take action pursuant to subsection 29.80(c)(7)(B) below.
2. If data are unavailable prior to the recreational Dungeness crab season opener, the director shall take action pursuant to subsection 29.80(c)(7)(B) below until data are available, at which point subsection 29.80(c)(7)(A)1. shall apply.
(B) If required under subsection 29.80(c)(7)(A) above, the director after consulting with the president of the commission or the president's designee, shall implement one or more of the following recreational management actions that the director demonstrates protects humpback whales, blue whales, and/or Pacific leatherback sea turtles based on best available science. Recreational management action shall be determined based on consideration of information outlined in subsection 132.8(d):
1. Advisory notice to recreational crab fishers to employ voluntary efforts and/or measures to reduce the risk of entanglements (e.g. best fishing practices).
2. Recreational Dungeness crab season delay and continuation of the crab trap prohibition specified in subsection 29.80(c)(4), whereby the director shall prohibit the deployment and use of recreational crab traps until new data indicates the numerical triggers for any species as specified in subsection 132.8(c)(2)(A)4. (in the fall) are no longer met, at which point the director shall lift or modify the Dungeness crab season delay as appropriate.
3. Season closure, whereby the director shall prohibit the deployment and use of recreational crab traps until new data indicates the numerical triggers for any species as specified in subsection 132.8(c)(2)(B) (in the spring) are no longer met, or the normal end of the Dungeness crab season specified in subsection 29.85(b)(2), at which point the director shall lift or modify the closure as appropriate.
(C) Recreational management action may be implemented statewide or by fishing zone(s) (as defined in subsections 132.8(a)(7)(A)-(G)), if the director demonstrates <-statewide action protects humpback whales, blue whales, and/or Pacific leatherback sea turtles based on best available science.
(D) Notice of a delay or closure pursuant to subsection 29.80(c)(7)(B)2. or 3. shall be transmitted via a director's declaration. The declaration will describe the following:
1. Data supporting the entanglement risk evaluation pursuant to subsection 29.80(c)(7)(A).
2. Relevant information informing management considerations from subsection 132.8(d).
3. Rationale for nexus between management considerations in subsection 132.8(d) and chosen recreational management action under subsection 29.80(c)(7)(B).
4. Duration of management action.
(E) The director's declaration pursuant to subsection 29.80(c)(7)(D) shall provide a minimum of 5 days' notice before the delay or closure becomes effective.
(F) The director's declaration and/or any advisory notice shall be communicated via the department's “Whale Safe Fisheries” webpage located at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Whale-Safe-Fisheries. At its discretion, the department may communicate declarations and/or advisory notices via additional formats.
(G) After the director implements a management action pursuant to subsection (c)(7)(B), he or she shall notify the commission and request that the commission schedule a public discussion of the management action at its next regularly-scheduled commission meeting.

Thank you. Thank you

Would adding a flag to the main bouy that meets the dimension and labeling requirements be legal? Similar to https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01BZMELXI/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_V4SREZC18J1RYHVP5KDV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1.
Don't read anything in the regs that indicates it's not allowed.

so when our "Recreational Crab Trap Validation" expires on 12/31, do we need to get another one for 2022?

so when our "Recreational Crab Trap Validation" expires on 12/31, do we need to get another one for 2022?

Yup.