Two commercial fishermen have had their licences suspended and vessel permits revoked for four years after wildlife officers recovered 194 abandoned Dungeness crab traps from waters off the Del Norte County coast. The enforcement action, finalised during an August meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission, involved 66-year-old Darryl Donovan of Gilroy and 60-year-old Terry Groat of Crescent City. The two men were investigated over abandoned commercial fishing gear found in Northern California waters during two consecutive fishing seasons. According to reporting by Patch, state wildlife officials recommended the penalties after finding serious violations. The abandoned equipment had resulted in hundreds of Dungeness crabs being wasted and also created entanglement risks for marine wildlife. The investigation involved joint air and sea patrols carried out by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Enforcement District and crews from the United States Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay.
Patrols find hundreds of abandoned traps
The first investigation focused on waters near the mouth of the Klamath River after the 2023-24 commercial Dungeness crab season ended. Aerial and marine patrols spotted dozens of buoys that appeared to have been left unattended offshore. Wildlife officers then carried out a recovery operation to locate and remove the traps beneath the water. State investigators connected at least 107 abandoned traps to Donovan. Inspection records showed that the equipment had been left in the water beyond the legal period for servicing. California fishing rules require commercial crabbers to service active traps at least once every 96 hours. The requirement is designed to reduce the death of crabs caught in the traps and limit the loss of fishing equipment. Investigators cited Donovan for several violations. These included failing to service traps within the required 96-hour period, failing to file mandatory fishing activity reports and using buoys that were not properly tagged or marked. A second investigation began after the 2024-25 commercial crab season. Wildlife officers examined several strings of submerged fishing gear found near the mouth of the Smith River. Officers recovered 87 abandoned traps linked to Groat. The allegations against Groat were similar to those against Donovan. They included failing to service traps, using untagged buoys, failing to submit required reports and allowing hundreds of Dungeness crabs to die inside the abandoned equipment.
Ghost gear continues to catch marine life
The case has drawn attention to the environmental risks created by abandoned commercial fishing equipment, often known as ghost gear. When crab traps are left in the sea, they can continue catching marine animals even when no fishermen are checking them. This process is known as ghost fishing. Crabs and fish can enter the traps and become trapped. They may eventually die from starvation or stress. Their bodies can then attract other animals, which may enter the same traps and become trapped themselves. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has warned that abandoned traps and their lines can create risks for marine animals beyond the target crab species. Lines attached to unattended buoys can become entanglement hazards for animals moving through coastal waters. Species at risk include humpback whales, blue whales and Pacific leatherback sea turtles. Lost fishing gear can also affect other commercial fishermen. Lines and equipment left in the water can create navigation problems for vessels operating in the same areas. Wildlife entanglements can also lead authorities to shorten fishing seasons as they try to reduce risks to marine mammals and other protected species. That can create financial problems for commercial operators who follow the rules and depend on the fishery for their livelihoods. California’s 840-mile coastline is regularly patrolled by wildlife officers who enforce state environmental and fisheries laws.
Commission imposes four-year vessel penalties
After state wildlife prosecutors submitted their recommendations, the California Fish and Game Commission considered the cases during its two-day meeting on August 12 and 13. The commission suspended the personal commercial fishing licences of both Donovan and Groat for two years. The men also received four-year suspensions of the Dungeness crab vessel permits connected to their operations. The vessel restrictions prevent the affected commercial boats from taking part in the fishery through 2030. The penalties cover both the individual licences and the vessel permits, making the enforcement action significantly longer for the fishing operations themselves. State officials said enforcement of fishing gear and trap recovery rules is important for protecting marine resources and reducing the environmental damage caused by abandoned equipment. The rules are also intended to protect commercial fishermen who comply with regulations and depend on healthy crab populations and safe fishing grounds. The recovery of 194 traps across the two investigations shows the scale of the problem facing Northern California waters. By removing abandoned gear and penalising operators accused of leaving it behind, state authorities are seeking to reduce continued ghost fishing and the wider risks that lost commercial equipment creates for marine life and other vessels along the Pacific coast.
