The Central California commercial Dungeness crab season will open on Friday, Nov. 15 south of the Sonoma-Mendocino County line. The commercial season opener will be preceded by an 18-hour gear setting period when crab trap gear can be set no earlier than 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14. Quality tests conducted in the Central California region in early November indicate that California Dungeness crabs are ready for harvest.

The 2013-14 season also marks the first season that the commercial Dungeness crab trap limit program will be in effect. The program consists of seven tiers of trap allotments ranging from 175 to 500 traps. Dungeness crab vessel permit-holders can only fish the maximum number of traps within their respective trap tier. Washington and Oregon implemented their trap limit programs in 1999 and 2006, respectively. California now joins those ranks.

More information on the Dungeness crab trap limit program, please visit: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/traplimit.asp.