ODFW release - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is sending out a notice to the Commercial Dungeness Crabbing Fleet a reminder that the temporary rule changes that moved the implementation of the existing late-season whale entanglement risk reduction measures from May 1 to April 1 effective this current crab season (2025-26) remain in place. Order your buoy tags now if you plan to crab in April. The regulation changes include:  Reduced pot limits by 20% combined with a 40-fathom depth restriction, effective April 1. This means beginning April 1, the amount of Dungeness crab gear allocated to each Dungeness crab permit is reduced by 20% and no gear will be allowed outside 40 fathoms.  Required late-season buoy tag in addition to primary season tag. This means beginning April 1 all Dungeness crab gear in the water must have a secondary tag attached to it in addition to the primary tag. Late-season tags are available for purchase from the Department at cost ($1.15 per tag) but cannot be attached to gear in the water before March 1. An application for late-season tags can be found here.  All commercial landings of crab beginning April 1 are prohibited unless late-season tags are purchased and attached.  Any gear in the ocean without a late-season buoy tag or outside of 40 fathoms can be retrieved under in-season derelict gear provisions beginning April 21.  Please share this information and reminders about crab fishing best practices to reduce risk of marine life entanglements with your networks. Also, consider reporting whale sightings using the WhaleAlert app and sharing the locations of unusually high whale or sea turtle activity with ODFW and with other fishers. All entangled marine mammals or sea turtles should be promptly reported by calling 1-877-SOS-WHALe (1-877-767-9425). Keep a safe distance and do not attempt disentanglement.  Thank you for taking these important, proactive steps to avoid entanglements and help to provide continued opportunities to harvest crab.