Public comment period open until July 24 on commercial crab fishing rules, bear and cougar trap check times

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW is accepting public comments on potential rule changes to commercial Dungeness crab fishing and trap check times for bear and cougar.

Comment using the links provided on ODFW's rulemaking page. The deadline to comment is July 24 at 8 a.m.

These policy proposals will be considered by Oregon's Fish and Wildlife Commission at their Aug. 14 meeting in Salem. Public testimony on these items (in-person and remote) will also be accepted at the meeting.

The public comment deadline of three weeks before Commission meetings is new beginning with the August meeting

This earlier deadline is intended to ensure the department has adequate time to thoroughly review and thoughtfully incorporate public feedback into the final proposed rules. It also gives Commissioners—who volunteer their time—more opportunity to carefully read, reflect on, and consider public input before they are asked to take action at the meeting.

More information about the proposals:

Commercial Dungeness crab rules: The Commission will consider rules to strengthen ODFW's approach to reducing the risk of whale entanglement, including: an electronic vessel monitoring requirement for commercial crab vessels, additional criteria and guidelines for approving experimental fishing gear permits, and a minor modification to commercial crab surface gear allowances.

Trap check interval times: Landowners or their agent may use traps to take a bear or cougar that has caused damage, is a public nuisance or is a threat to public safety without a permit from the department when certain conditions have been met. Though there are trap check requirements for traps set for other species such as furbearing mammals, currently there are no established trap check requirements when traps are used to take bear and cougar under these circumstances.

These rules would establish requirements that traps set to capture bear or cougar must be checked within a specific time interval. ODFW is proposing a requirement that traps set for bear and cougar must be checked and all animals removed at least once every other calendar day but not exceeding 56 hours. Use of traps will continue to be a prohibited method for bear and cougar hunting seasons. Use this link to provide public comment.

More information about the Aug. 14 meeting, including a full meeting agenda and link to register to provide in person or remote testimony on the day of the meeting, will be available closer to the meeting date.