The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is in the process of developing a red abalone fishery management plan to update sections of the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan. Members of the public are invited to provide guidance for the plan by participating in an online survey concerning their preferences in the management of red abalone. The survey can be accessed on the CDFW website. The survey will run until March 6, 2015, so interested parties should complete the survey as soon as possible.
Those wishing to complete the survey by mail instead of through the website can request a printed survey form by writing to CDFW, attn. Jerry Kashiwada, 32330 North Harbor Dr., Fort Bragg, CA 95437 or call (707) 964-5791 to request the form.
post by Associate Environmental Scientist Jerry Kashiwada ♦ CDFW photo by A. Maguire
Marine Management News 
The Abalone management and enforcement along the Mendocino Coast works great. There are always exceptions, but most divers respect the rules and appreciate the enforcement of those rules. They want to come back the following year and have Abalone to diver for. Nobody wants to see the NorCal Coast end up like the SoCal Coast. Poachers seem to be the biggest problem because they take any size and as many as they can get, probably so they can sell them. As part of the management plan, please make it convenient and easy for true divers to report poachers if they encounter them. A phone number that would be easy to remember, like 1-800-ABALONE that will connect to someone who can get a CDFW officer to the site quickly. These poachers are the single biggest threat to the Abalone population.
Unfortunately, there will never be enough wardens to adequately patrol the northern California coast for abalone violations. It is very helpful when concerned citizens make reports of illegal fishing activities. There might not be a warden available to respond immediately to such reports but details like time, location, descriptions of violators and their vehicles along with license plate numbers help wardens identify suspects and determine patterns which will help lead to future arrests. There is already the CalTIP (Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters) number, 1-888-DFG-CALTIP (888-334-2258) which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is toll free. CalTIP is a confidential secret witness program that encourages the public to provide CDFW with factual information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters. You do not have to give your name.
If you witness a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation, or have information about such a violation, immediately dial the toll free CalTIP number 1-888-DFG-CALTIP (888-334-2258).
Or you may submit anonymous tips to CDFW using tip411. tip411 an internet based tool from CitizenObserver.com that enables the public to text message an anonymous tip to wildlife officers and lets the officers respond back, creating an anonymous two-way conversation. Anyone with a cell phone may send an anonymous tip to CDFW by texting CALTIP and their tip to 847411 (tip411).
Or download the free CalTIP smartphone app which operates similarly to tip411 by creating an anonymous two-way conversation with wildlife officers to report wildlife and pollution violations. The CalTIP app can be downloaded for free via the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store.
Be prepared to give the fullest possible account of the incident including the name, address, age and description of the suspect, vehicle description, direction of travel, license number, type of violation and when and where it occurred. You do not have to give your name.
Information from the call is relayed to the CDFW region where the offense occurred and an investigation is undertaken locally. If the information supplied by the caller results in an arrest the caller becomes eligible for a reward (up to $1,000 has been paid). The case is then reviewed by a volunteer citizen’s group known as the “CalTIP Foundation”.