CDFW Releases Updated Draft Conservation Plan for Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery

Crab boats docked in Bodega Bay harbor
CDFW photo by C. Juhasz

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released an updated draft conservation plan for public review and comment that addresses protected species interactions in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery.

Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Opens Dec. 1 in Northern California

Commercial fishermen servicing a Dungeness crab trap
CDFW photo by C. Juhasz

Quality test results from Nov. 15 indicate that the commercial Dungeness crab fishery can open on schedule on Dec. 1 in northern California. Dungeness crab collected from Crescent City, Trinidad, and Eureka showed that crab exceeded the meat recovery criteria established by the Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee. Following a call with Tri-State managers from Oregon and Washington on Nov. 19, the entire Tri-State area will open Dec. 1. Please refer to Oregon’s and Washington’s respective industry notices for more information.

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.

Webinar: Discussion of Proposed Draft Commercial Kelp and Other Marine Algae Regulatory Changes

Top view of Macrocystis pyrifera
CDFW photo by R. Flores Miller

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be hosting a webinar to discuss the commercial harvest of wild kelp and other marine algae, including proposed draft regulatory changes, supporting data, and results from a commercial harvester survey.

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Updates

Dungeness crab
CDFW image

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) would like to provide a quick summary of several significant updates and changes regarding the commercial Dungeness crab fishery.