Bay Area Groups Launch $11M Crab and Whale Collaborative

Ahead of California’s scheduled Nov. 7, 2026 commercial Dungeness crab season opener, Bay Area marine researchers and commercial fishing representatives unveiled an $11 million conservation partnership on Wednesday, alongside a new Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) statewide election survey and the release of synthesist Jeremiah Chiu’s SFJAZZ-recorded album Edge Conditions, according to Oct. 28, 2026 reports from the San Francisco Examiner, KTVU FOX 2, and 48 Hills.

$11 Million Dungeness Crab and Whale Conservation Collaborative

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, The Nature Conservancy, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations announced the formation of the Dungeness Crab and Whale Conservation Collaborative, funded by a 3-year, $11 million grant from the Clean Break Fund, according to James Salazar of the San Francisco Examiner.

Traditional Dungeness crab gear relies on a vertical line linking a seafloor trap to a surface buoy—lines that can entangle migrating humpback whales along the central California coast. Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center, said the collaborative brings biologists and commercial crabbers together to test alternative gear, expand whale monitoring, and train vessel crews in entanglement response.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) figures cited by the San Francisco Examiner, 32 whales were entangled off the West Coast in 2024, including 24 humpback whales, with 18 entanglements occurring off California and 7 confirmed in commercial or recreational Dungeness crab gear. Meanwhile, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP)—which delayed the central coast season opener until Jan. 5 in 2025–26—was extended to 2040 after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1393 in September 2026.

Dick Ogg, a commercial crabber based in Bodega Bay for more than 20 years, and Lisa Damrosch, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, said crabbers are testing spring-released pop-up buoys and virtual gear-marking systems that cost up to $10,000 per system so vessels can fish safely in 300 to 360 feet of water. Sydney Syverson, ocean manager at The Nature Conservancy in California, noted that the grant will help commercial fleets evaluate the gear at scale.

PPIC Poll Tracks Governor’s Race and Proposition 40

In statewide politics, a new Public Policy Institute of California survey of more than 1,000 likely voters shows Democrat Xavier Becerra leading the California governor’s race with 61% support, drawing strong backing from the Bay Area and Los Angeles, while Republican Steve Hilton draws most of his support from the Central Valley, according to James Torrez of KTVU FOX 2.

On statewide ballot measures, 52% of respondents said they would vote against Proposition 40, known as the "Billionaire's Tax," though the measure retains support among Bay Area Democrats. Voters also remain closely divided on Proposition 39 (voter ID requirements) and Propositions 41 and 42 (state tax measures), while 63% of likely voters surveyed said they plan to back a Democratic candidate in congressional races.

Jeremiah Chiu’s SFJAZZ Set Shapes Edge Conditions

In San Francisco’s music scene, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu’s new album Edge Conditions—now on sale at both Bay Area locations of Amoeba Records—traces part of its origin to a Feb. 27, 2026 live performance presented by Noise Pop inside SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab, according to music columnist John-Paul Shiver in 48 Hills. Written and recorded primarily during February and March 2026, the release incorporates live collaborations from the SFJAZZ date alongside saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann.