UPDATE – Late on Feb 3, 2017 the federal government announced that 2017-2018 recreational and commercial groundfish regulations would go into effect on Feb. 7, 2017. View updated recreational groundfish regulation summaries here.
On Jan. 20, 2017, White House staff on behalf of President Trump implemented a regulatory freeze to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees had the opportunity to review any new or pending federal regulations. This freeze includes the pending 2017 and 2018 commercial and recreational groundfish regulations. Until the federal freeze is lifted, 2016 regulations remain in effect for commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries.
For current groundfish regulations, please call the Recreational Groundfish Hotline at (831) 649-2801 or check the CDFW Groundfish website. The hotline and websites will be updated once the new regulations go into effect. CDFW will also issue a press release announcing the new regulations. To receive the press release by email, sign up for CDFW News or the Marine Region News Service (ocean-related news only).
For more information about the federal regulatory freeze, contact the National Marine Fisheries Service at (206) 526-6140.
this post was edited on Feb. 4, 2017
post by California Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff
Marine Management News 