Sustainably Managing California’s Fisheries and Ecosystems During a Pandemic – Marine Region’s 2020 Year in Review and By the Numbers Reports

What did 2020 look like for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s) Marine Region? The 2020 Year in Review is now available along with its companion document 2020 By the Numbers. These reports provide overviews of the hurdles the Marine Region faced and accomplishments we achieved last year.

Catalina Island Marine Protected Area Collaborative: California’s Island Collaborative

Educators gather for an MPA Speaker Series training held by the Catalina Island and Los Angeles MPA collaboratives
photo courtesy MPA Collaborative Network

While Los Angeles County is home to 13 of California’s 124 marine protected areas (MPAs), only four of those can be easily accessed from the mainland. The remaining nine MPAs surround Santa Catalina Island, known simply as “Catalina,” and can be reached via ferry, boat, helicopter, or private aircraft.

Fisheries Biologists Present California’s Ocean Salmon Forecast for 2021

Measuring an adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon taken in the commercial fishery.
CDFW photo by G. Ghrist

At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually today, state and federal fishery scientists presented estimates of catch in 2020 fisheries and spawner returns to rivers and hatcheries, as well as the expected salmon abundance for the upcoming fishing season.

2021 Schedule of Expected California Grunion Runs Available, Input on Grunion Fishing Sought

Southern California grunion run
photo by K. Walker

The 2021 schedule of expected California grunion runs is now available on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website. If attending a grunion run, please follow current Covid-19 health guidelines and check with city or county authorities for information about potential beach closures.

Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas: Asilomar State Marine Reserve

Asilomar State Marine Reserve
CDFW photo by T. Heitzenrater

After taking a virtual walk along Monterey Bay’s Coastal Recreation Trail through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s blog series Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas, this article continues the walk to Asilomar State Marine Reserve (SMR).