CDFW Issues 15 Citations After Dozens Observed Illegally Taking Crab In San Francisco

From this California Department of Fish and Wildlife Facebook post, wildlife officers cited multiple people in San Francisco for illegally taking Dungeness crabs:

Just after 9 p.m. on Aug. 30, CDFW wildlife officers responded to a CALTIP report of crab poaching at Thornton Beach in San Francisco. What started as “about 30 people” turned out to be closer to 45 individuals illegally taking Dungeness crabs by hand under lights during the closed season. As groups hiked back up the trail, wildlife officers intercepted them. Some dropped bags of crabs and ran, while others were stopped as they attempted to evade and make their way to their vehicles. From 9:45 p.m. until 4 a.m., wildlife officers issued 15 citations and seized crabs stuffed into trash bags, backpacks and grocery sacks. Most of the catch were undersized crabs, which are illegal to take any time.

Thanks to the tip and quick action by wildlife officers, hundreds of Dungeness crab were saved. Instead of ending up in a pot, these crabs were returned to the beach and scuttled back to their rightful underwater spots. These crabs got to crawl back home, and you can help keep it that way.

Pitch in and report poaching by calling CalTIP at 1-888-334-2258 or using the Tip411 app!