Eleven cited for illegal Dungeness crab harvest at Thornton State Beach in California; 95 crabs released back to sea
Acting on a citizen tip, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers cited 11 people for illegally harvesting Dungeness crab at Thornton State Beach in San Mateo County and seized 95 crabs, which were released back into the water. Both the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab seasons in California are currently closed.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers issued 11 citations to individuals for illegally harvesting Dungeness crab at Thornton State Beach in San Mateo County, acting on a tip from a member of the public. CDFW made the enforcement action public on November 9, 2026.
Officers initially received the tip through the CALTIP reporting hotline, with a citizen reporting a large group of people wading into the water to catch Dungeness crab at Thornton State Beach. Officers headed to the scene and, en route, received another report that a second group had also arrived at the beach in search of Dungeness crab.
In a statement posted on social media, CDFW said officers arriving on scene observed the individuals illegally harvesting Dungeness crab and contacted several people carrying crabs in buckets, bags and backpacks, ultimately issuing 11 citations for harvesting Dungeness crab during the closed season, harvesting undersized Dungeness crab and harvesting Dungeness crab over the limit. Officers seized a total of 95 illegally harvested Dungeness crab and released them back into the water.
CDFW noted that both the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab seasons in California are currently closed.
Earlier, on October 30, CDFW announced it was delaying the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season until January 2027 at the earliest, citing an elevated number of whale entanglements in fishing gear in 2026. The state recorded 7 confirmed humpback whale entanglements this year, 2 of which were confirmed to involve California commercial Dungeness crab gear.
CDFW Director Megan Hertel said in the released statement that CDFW will continue to work with stakeholders across California to protect whales and sea turtles from gear entanglement, and said that amid increasingly disruptive effects of climate change, collaboration is more important than ever to protect endangered whales, sea turtles and fishing communities.
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