California approves whale-friendlier gear for commercial Dungeness crab fishing

Crab-fishing gear intended to pose less danger to whales has been approved for the first time for the commercial Dungeness crab industry by California wildlife officials.

So-called pop-up fishing gear hugs the seafloor, rather than using long lines to connect crab traps to the surface, which can potentially entangle and kill whales, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.