“Thanks to someone who reported suspected illegal activity and the overnight work of CDFW officers, this illegal taking of Dungeness crab came to a halt and the crab were saved.  That’s an example of how, together, we can protect our natural resources.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

SAN FRANCISCO – On August 30, 2025, just after 9 p.m., California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers responded to a CALTIP report of crab poaching at Thronton Beach in San Francisco.

What started as “about 30 people” turned out to be closer to 45 individuals illegally taking Dungeness crabs by hand under lights during the closed season. As groups of suspected poachers hiked back up the trail, CDFW officers intercepted them. Some of the individuals dropped bags of crabs and ran, while others were stopped as they attempted to evade detection and make their way to their vehicles.

From 9:45 p.m. until 4 a.m., CDFW officers issued 15 citations and seized crabs stuffed into trash bags, backpacks and grocery sacks. Most of the catch was undersized females, which are illegal to take any time.

As a result of the tip and quick action by wildlife officers, hundreds of Dungeness crab were saved. The crabs were returned to the beach and scuttled back to their underwater spots.

Report poaching by calling CalTIP at 1-888-334-2258 or using the Tip411 app.