Upcoming California Halibut Scaled Management Stakeholder Webinar Series Announced

California halibut. CDFW/MARE photo

Recreational fishermen targeting California halibut in San Francisco Bay. CDFW photo by K. Lesyna

California halibut scale as seen under a microscope. CDFW photo

Commercial trawl fisherman offloading California halibut. CDFW photo

In 2019, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) completed a prioritization process for all of California’s fisheries in accordance with the 2018 Master Plan for Fisheries: A Guide for Implementation of the Marine Life Management Act. California halibut was identified as a high-priority fishery for management attention.

Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas: Begg Rock State Marine Reserve

Young rockfish over a reef covered with anemones, divers in the background. photo © Roger Carlson

Young rockfish at Begg Rock. photo © Chris Grossman, diver.net

Rock scallop amid aggregating anemones. photo © Roger Carlson

Cormorants roost atop Begg Rock. photo © Chris Grossman, diver.net

Begg Rock, a small pinnacle jutting up around 15 feet from the ocean’s surface, may not look like much to the passing eye, but below the surface its marine life is abundant. Located about eight miles northwest of San Nicolas Island and nearly 60 miles from the Southern California mainland, it is by definition “remote.”

Additional Relief for the California Fishing Industry: Consolidated Appropriations Act (CARES II) Update

Commercial purse seiner at the dock.
CDFW photo by T. Nguyen

On March 29, 2021, NOAA Fisheries announced the allocation of an additional $255 million in fisheries assistance funding provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is working on a revised spend plan for California funds that will be submitted to NOAA Fisheries for approval. Fishery participants eligible to receive funding include commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, and processors and dealers participating in marine and anadromous fisheries.

Just Released: Two Scientific Reports Informing Marine Protected Area Network Management and Evaluation

California’s network of 124 marine protected areas (MPAs), completed in 2012, is approaching its 10-year anniversary. This milestone will be recognized by an inaugural MPA Decadal Management Review in 2022.

California’s Ocean Habitats: Kelp Forests

Bountiful food in the kelp forest attracts marine mammals like this harbor seal in Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve
CDFW photo by M. Haggerty

Kelp forests provide countless ecosystem services, benefiting both marine species and landlubbers alike. They form the foundation of marine food webs, coastal economies, and Indigenous traditions. They protect juvenile fish from predation by providing nursery habitat, and coastlines from erosion by buffering wave energy.