2 iconic animals, Dungeness crab and banana slug, become new state symbols

There is no doubt that both animals have a fan base in Northern California, whether it's seafood lovers, nature buffs or both.

The Dungeness crab is a core economic resource for coastal communities, with the 2022-23 season netting 21 million pounds of crab with an estimated value of $54.4 million according to state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg. The sweet and silky crab meat is feasted during holidays and at crab feeds across the region.

McGuire introduced the bill alongside Assemblymember Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, with assemblymembers Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, and Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, serving as co-authors. All represent coastal regions synonymous with the delicacy.

Newsom signed the bill acknowledging that Dungeness crab is one of the oldest commercial fisheries in the state, calling it "a pillar of the state's local economy."

But crabbing is not without its challenges. The 2023-24 season was delayed statewide due to whale migrations, then was impacted by inclement weather and crabber strikes. Wood acknowledges this and hopes that by elevating Dungeness crab as a state symbol, it will help "ensure the fishing industry, the ocean and its inhabitants are all well protected."

Assemblymember Pellerin authored AB 1850 with the goal of promoting "appreciation, education and research of banana slugs in the state."

She represents Santa Cruz, where the University of California Santa Cruz's beloved mascot is an anthropomorphic banana slug named Sammy.

The slimy creature is considered one of the slowest animals in the world and is found throughout the state, often coexisting with redwood groves. Banana slugs are composters, pollinators and pest managers — the slugs eat dead organic material, distribute seeds and spores, and also eat poison oak and poisonous mushrooms, according to a statement by Pellerin. In his signing statement, Newsom called the slug "integral" to California's ecosystems.

These two animal icons will also be joined by a more elusive creature as new symbols, the black abalone. Newsom also signed Assembly Bill 2504, establishing the critically endangered black abalone as the state's official seashell.

The abalone is considered sacred by many coastal California Native American tribes for food and its iridescent interior, known as mother-of-pearl. The black abalone's range is from around Point Arena in Mendocino County to Baja California, Mexico.