Southern California Fisheries Closure Implemented Due to Oil Spill

Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021. A unified command has been established to respond to and clean up the oil spill off the California coast. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo

Notification from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Take of all fish and shellfish is immediately prohibited from Huntington Beach to Dana Point, including the shorelines and offshore areas and all bays due to an oil spill in Southern California.

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.

Watch Out for Coho Salmon in California’s Ocean Fisheries

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds ocean sport anglers to be vigilant about properly identifying their salmon before landing them.

The ocean salmon fishing season in the Monterey management area is well under way and areas to the north will open in late June. Coho (or silver) salmon, a protected species, are most likely to be encountered during late spring and early summer. Proper identification is critical for their survival.

Creature Feature: Black-and-Yellow Rockfish

Black-and-yellow rockfish may be found statewide, but they are uncommon north of Mendocino County and south of Point Conception. They range from intertidal depths to around 120 ft., but are most common in depths of 50 ft. or less. [Currently, fishing depth restrictions apply to this species and all groundfish.]

Salmon Seasons Finalized for the California Coast

Sport fisherman with a nice Chinook salmon caught off Devil’s Slide
photo courtesy of D. Laughlin

Ocean salmon anglers across the California coast will be spending less time on the water this year chasing after king salmon, also known as Chinook.

At its virtual meeting last week, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) finalized and adopted the 2021 ocean salmon seasons. Sport fisheries on much of the coast have yet to open, except for the Monterey area which opened on the traditional first Saturday in April.