Upcoming Changes to Commercial Harvest Regulations for Kelp and Other Marine Algae

Bull kelp canopy at the ocean’s surface
photo by K. Elsmore

The California Fish and Game Commission has adopted regulation amendments and new regulations for commercial harvest of kelp and other marine algae that will go into effect on January 1, 2023.

The amended regulations include temporary changes that expire on Jan. 1, 2026.

Annual Pre-Season Salmon Information Meeting Scheduled for March 2

Young Chinook salmon from the South Fork Ten Mile River. CDFW photo

Angler with Chinook salmon. CDFW photo by G. Ghrist

Commercial salmon troller. CDFW photo

The public is invited to the annual California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Salmon Information Meeting via webinar on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Handouts and further instructions for attendance will be posted to the CDFW Ocean Salmon web page as the meeting date approaches.

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.