Oregon extends crab fishing restrictions to protect whales from getting caught in trap ropes

Oregon has extended rules restricting the number of crab traps in the water and how deep they can drop in the late-season months when humpback whales are more likely to swim there. Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery is one of the backbones of the Pacific Northwest’s fishing industry. But veteran crabbers fear regulators are on the cusp of curtailing the lucrative industry with overregulation to protect whales. An official of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says it is trying to strike a balance between recovery of whale populations and having a thriving Dungeness crab fishery.