OR Dungeness Crab Commission release - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is sending you this notice to inform you that on December 11th, 2025, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (OFWC) received a formal petition (available https://links-2.govdelivery.com/.../FzOCElaJG0XUQF...) from several conservation groups to adopt new measures and amend existing rules in the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery to reduce the risk of marine life entanglements. The petition’s stated purpose is “to strengthen Oregon’s current entanglement risk reduction measures, create a pathway for authorization of safer pop-up fishing gear, and establish a process for timely public reporting of marine mammal or sea turtle entanglements in Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear.” Key requests include:  • Establishing a process for pop-up gear authorization, • Adjusting late-season measures to include a 40% pot limit reduction and 30 fathom depth restriction (exempting pop-up gear), effective April 1 each season through 2028, • Prohibiting conventional (non-pop-up) gear after April 1 each season starting in 2028, • Requiring ODFW to provide public notice of any marine mammal or sea turtle entanglement in Oregon or in gear originating from Oregon within 48 hours of receiving a report, and • Requiring emergency procedures be taken, including zonal or statewide closures to conventional gear, in response to confirmed entanglements of ESA-listed animals in Oregon crab gear (or unknown gear that may be Oregon crab gear).  By statute, the OFWC must either initiate rulemaking or issue a written denial within 90 days of the petition being received (by March 11, 2026). The agency is in the process of reviewing the petition as required by statute. ODFW will provide an assessment and recommendation to the OFWC at their meeting on February 20, 2026.  We invite the public to comment on the petition’s proposed new rules and rule amendments, and specifically on whether options exist for achieving the substantive goals of these rules in a way that reduces the negative economic impact on businesses.  Comments can be sent via email to: mailto:[email protected]