Join us online for a Bay Nature Talk on Wednesday, April 26 from 4-5:00 pm with humpback whale scientist John Calambokidis, commercial fisherman Dick Ogg, and science journalist Anne Marshall-Chalmers. This webinar will be a fascinating discussion building on the Spring 2023 Bay Nature story, “As Whale Populations Grow, Dungeness Crabbers Foresee Their Own Demise.” The recently announced April 15 closure of the crabbing season makes this a relevant time to understand the challenges and potential solutions to the issue.

You’ll learn about the conservation successes of the past 50 years that have enabled humpback whale populations to recover. We’ll also discuss the climate effects pushing these same endangered whales towards shore—increasing the potential for conflicts with humans in the form of ship strikes, underwater noise pollution, and, in recent years, a spike in the number of whales entangled in crabbing gear. This has California’s iconic and highly profitable Dungeness crab fishery, which routinely earns crabbers $80 million for a season’s catch, facing an uncertain future.

John, Dick, and Anne will be joined by Victoria Schlesinger, Bay Nature editor in chief, who will lead a lively and informative conversation, followed by a Q&A with listeners.

The event is free and open to all with a suggested (but not required) donation of $20. Register on our Eventbrite page. After registering, you’ll receive instructions on how to access the webinar, which will be recorded.