Nearly 200 abandoned Dungeness crab traps found off the Del Norte County coast have led to major penalties for two commercial fishermen. California wildlife officers documented 194 abandoned traps near the Klamath and Smith rivers, along with additional violations involving reporting, gear marking, trap servicing, and the waste of hundreds of crabs.

Oregon will open its commercial Dungeness crab season Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon to the California border, with additional areas to open later once quality testing benchmarks are met.