CDFW To Host Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Commercial Groundfish Regulations

Commercial groundfish vessels deliver their catch in Eureka, California
CDFW photo by M. Parker

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold an online public hearing on Tuesday May 30, 2023 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. to discuss proposed regulatory amendments to California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 189, pertaining to commercial groundfish fishing.  The amendments will clarify that existing federal commercial groundfish regulations are incorporated into state regulations and are applicable in state waters.

Additional proposed amendments include:

• Language specifying that it is unlawful to take and retain, possess or land any fish in violation of the Federal West Coast Groundfish Fishery Regulations, including violations of regulations extended to apply in state waters as specified in this section.

Nominations Open for New Working Group to Help Develop California’s Kelp Restoration and Management Plan

Bull kelp and rockfish at Salt Point. CDFW photo by A. Maguire

Giant kelp. photo by K. Elsmore

Giant kelp. photo by K. Elsmore

Dark and mysterious, kelp forests teem with darting fish, slow-moving abalone, hidden lobsters, and bright, swaying anemones. Kelp forests form the foundation of marine food webs, coastal economies, and Indigenous traditions – and now, California is developing a formal Kelp Restoration and Management Plan (KRMP) to guide the state’s efforts to manage, protect, and restore these underwater forests in California waters.

CDFW Considers Reducing California Halibut Bag and Possession Limit in Northern California

Angler lands a California halibut
CDFW photo

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing an emergency regulation change to reduce the recreational California halibut daily bag and total possession limit from three fish to two fish in northern California (waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County). The proposal will be discussed at the May 17, 2023 California Fish and Game Commission teleconference meeting.

Northern California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (“party boat”) operators and recreational anglers

Visit CDFW’s New Interactive Marine Protected Area Website

Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area web page
CDFW image

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has created a new, comprehensive marine protected area (MPA) website to provide easier access to MPA information.

The new web pages are accessed from an interactive map, which allows you to find MPAs based on their location. Each page focuses on California MPAs singly or as a set of adjacent MPAs. Maps (online and print-ready), regulations, descriptions, photos, videos, and more are available for each MPA.

Using the “Find an MPA” map at the top of the California MPAs web page, users can zoom in and click on the MPA they’re interested in, and click on the pop-up image to get more details. The new online

Southern California Recreational Groundfish All-Depth Season Opens April 1

Copper rockfish
CDFW photo by A. Mutti

The recreational groundfish season will open on April 1, 2023 in the Southern Management Area, where for the first time in over two decades anglers can enjoy fishing for groundfish in all water depths from the opening date until September 15 of this year. New in 2023, this portion of the season is referred to as the ‘all depth fishery’