The California Fish and Game Commission revoked the commercial fishing licenses of two Dungeness crab fishermen for purposefully abandoning dozens of crab traps in Northern California waters, among other offenses. The commission acted on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recommendations and publicly named and shamed the two fishermen — Darryl Donovan, 66, of Gilroy; and Terry Groat, 60, of Crescent City.
In Donovan’s case, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Enforcement District and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay investigated abandoned traps near the Klamath River in Del Norte County after the 2023-2024 season. They found that Donovan had abandoned 107 crab traps, as well as failing to “service traps in the required 96 hours and submit mandatory fishing reports, and fishing with untagged and improperly marked buoys.”
In Groat’s case, officers discovered that he had left 87 traps near the Smith River in Del Norte County. They also wrote him up for not servicing the traps, not tagging buoys, not submitting required reports, and killing hundreds of crabs.
In a comment on the department’s Facebook post, Dave Groat, claiming to be the brother of Terry Groat, said his brother couldn’t retrieve the traps because his boat broke down and he’s diabetic.
According to the California Commercial Fishing Digest, it’s prohibited to leave crab buoys, traps, or lines in the water after the end of the Dungeness crab fishing season. They need to be removed from the water by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the season, which, on the northern coast of California, is July 30.
“Those who abandon traps not only endanger marine mammals and other wildlife that can become trapped or entangled in derelict gear, but they can also cause shortened fishing seasons for law-abiding fishers who depend on those opportunities for their livelihood,” the Department of Fish and Wildlife said. “Whether it’s hunting, recreational fishing or commercial fishing, the privilege to harvest California’s fish and wildlife requires a high degree of mutual trust between the public and law enforcement.”
