THE YEARLY RACE FOR DUNGENESS CRAB IS ABOUT TO BEGIN IN MID-NOVEMBER. MOST FISHERMEN WILL HAVE TRAPPED UP TO 80% OF THE ENTIRE 7-MONTH SEASON'S CRAB HARVEST BY THE END OF DECEMBER. CALIFORNIA SEA GRANT-FUNDED RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CRAB FISHERY PARTICIPANTS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE EARLY-SEASON RUSH. A SURVEY PUBLISHED IN THE OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2004 ISSUE OF THE CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE JOURNAL, REPORTS THAT FISHERMEN WOULD SUPPORT JUST 2 OF 12 MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO SPREAD OUT THE CATCH MORE EVENLY. 70% WERE IN FAVOR OF A TRAP LIMIT FOR ALL SIZED VESSELS, AND 64% WERE IN FAVOR OF DAYLIGHT ONLY FISHING. RECENTLY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER VETOED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED A 250-TRAP LIMIT FOR ALL BOATS IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS.