Poachers Cited After Fishing Out Hundreds Of Dungeness Crabs From Bay Area Beach

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Wildlife officials issued citations to more than a dozen poachers who were caught trying to illegally fish for crabs at the Bay Area beach, according to authorities.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says they received a tip of crab poaching at Thornton Beach just after 9 p.m. on Aug. 30.

When they arrived at the scene, they found about 45 people poaching Dungeness crabs by hand, according to wildlife officials.

Several people ran away after wildlife officials showed up, dropping their bags of crabs in the process, according to authorities.

Others who tried to go to their cars were stopped and cited, according to wildlife officials, who said they issued 15 citations.

"Thanks to the tip and quick action by wildlife officers, hundreds of Dungeness crab were saved," the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Thursday. "Instead of ending up in a pot, these crabs were returned to the beach and scuttled back to their rightful underwater spots."

It's currently closed season for the Dungeness crab in California, according to wildlife officials, making it illegal to fish for them. Open season typically starts in November and runs through July.

It is also illegal to catch and keep any undersized Dungeness crabs, officials said. Commercial fishermen are expected to measure their catch and only keep the crustaceans that are equal to or greater than six and a quarter inches.

Recreational crab catchers may keep those that are about five and three-quarters inches, according to wildlife officials. Many of the crabs taken during the incident on Aug. 30 were undersized, they added.

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