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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Under the authority of Section 8276.1(c)(1) of the Fish and Game Code, the Director may restrict take of commercial Dungeness crab after making a preliminary determination that there is a significant risk of marine life entanglement due to fishing gear.
The opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in this area will be delayed until Dec. 15, 2019. Pursuant to Fish and Game Code, section 8283, traps may be set and baited 18 hours in advance of the opening date.
A pre-soak period can commence at 6 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2019.
Before taking this action, the director considered all recommendations and information provided within the public notice period that ended at 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 22.
No vessel may take, possess or land crab in an area closed for a significant entanglement risk. Fishing gear may not be deployed in any area closed to fishing.
CDFW would like to acknowledge the commitment by the commercial fishing fleet and various stakeholders to help inform management of this important commercial fishery.
CDFW understands the crab fishery's value to coastal communities and is committed to ensuring a robust fishery while taking appropriate steps to minimize marine life entanglements to the extent practicable.
CDFW is committed to continuing to evaluate information as it is available in real-time to ensure that restrictions on the fishery are lifted as expeditiously as possible.
CDFW will convene a meeting of the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group in early December to evaluate risk factors and determine if the fishery can be opened prior to Dec. 15.
Throughout the course of the crab season, CDFW will engage regularly with the Working Group to review scientific information and advise efforts to minimize the risk of whale and sea turtle entanglements while maximizing fishing opportunity.
Based on that process, CDFW may take additional management actions in response to future risk assessments.
For more information related to the risk assessment process or this delay, please visit CDFW's Whale Safe Fisheries webpage.
For more information on Dungeness crab, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CFBF President Jamie Johansson welcomed Wednesday’s action by the House Judiciary Committee on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019.
The committee approved the bill by voice vote, ahead of an expected final vote on Thursday to send it to the full U.S. House of Representatives.
“We’ve overcome a lot of obstacles to get here, and there’s still a long way to go, but we’re encouraged by the prospects for reform and improvement of immigration laws that would benefit agricultural employees and their families,” said Johansson, who attended the committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
Introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 would improve agricultural visa programs and accommodate immigrant agricultural employees already in the United States, while enhancing border security.
“This bipartisan bill will benefit everyone involved in agriculture. That’s why more than 300 agricultural groups and companies from across the country signed a letter this week urging congressional leaders to move the bill through the House,” Johansson said.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would improve the existing H-2A agricultural visa program and would allow immigrant agricultural employees already in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment.
“As Thanksgiving nears, there’s no more meaningful way to recognize the contribution agricultural employees make to our food supply and rural communities than to deal fairly with immigrant employees and their immediate families,” Johansson said. “We urge Speaker Pelosi to bring the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to a vote as soon as possible.”
The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 34,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
On Wednesday, Director Bonham issued a preliminary determination that the Nov. 22 start date poses a significant risk of marine life entanglement.
The anticipated management response is a further delay of the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in that area until Dec. 15.
An aerial survey conducted by CDFW within Greater Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries on Monday, Nov. 18, showed whales throughout the survey area with concentrations foraging in depths between 30 and 50 fathoms off Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay.
CDFW is working to schedule a followup aerial reconnaissance flight to further evaluate whale presence in advance of Dec. 15 and will convene the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group the first week of December to conduct a risk evaluation.
Under the authority of Fish and Game Code, section 8276.1(c)(1), the director may restrict take of commercial Dungeness crab if there is a significant risk of marine life entanglement due to fishing gear.
As required in Fish and Game Code, section 8276.1(c)(4), the director is providing 48 hours’ notice to the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group and other stakeholders.
Director Bonham will consider any recommendations or new information provided by 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Anyone with recommendations and information related to this preliminary determination should submit it to
No vessel may take, possess or land crab in an area closed for a significant entanglement risk. Fishing gear may not be deployed in any area closed to fishing.
CDFW, the fleet and the interested stakeholders are still at the start of an emerging effort to implement real-time decision-making processes.
For the last 24 hours before the Wednesday announcement, CDFW has been engaged in real-time discussion and decision making, responding to industry requests for further delay.
Everyone recognizes the risks and all are committed to addressing that risk and developing the tools to assess and manage risk with more refinement.
CDFW said it is committed to continuing to evaluate information as it is available in real-time to ensure that restrictions on the fishery are lifted as expeditiously as possible.
CDFW also said it appreciates the challenges and difficulties that come with the beginning of a new approach, and we appreciate the understanding of the public, the fleet, the Working Group and Californians hungry for crabs.
In related news, test results received Wednesday from the California Department of Public Health show there is no longer a public health concern regarding the safety of crab from the Mendocino/Sonoma county line to the California/Mexico border.
For the latest information on the Dungeness crab season, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab and 2019-2020 Dungeness Crab Fishery Best Practices Guide.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The hearing, titled “State of the 2019-20 Dungeness Crab Season and Putting Fish Friendly Highways in the Fast Lane,” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at the State Capitol in Room 112.
“The past five years have been some of the most challenging on record for crab fishermen up and down the coast,” Sen. McGuire said. “While we’re hoping for the best this year, the hearing will be focused on any challenges that may lie ahead including ocean heating, domoic acid levels, potential marine life entanglements as well as remaining concerns about crab size and weight. We hope folks will join us for a comprehensive overview of this top tier fishery.”
The first portion of the hearing will focus on the upcoming Dungeness crab season and any potential impacts that may be on the horizon and when consumers can expect to have crab on the holiday dinner table.
Experts from across the west will focus on ocean heating, domoic acid levels, crab quality tests, risk of whale and marine life entanglements and the recent declaration to delay the season opener.
The JCFA will also hear testimony from fisheries leaders about their perspectives and concerns regarding the Dungeness crab fishery.
The committee will also do a deep dive on fish passage barriers that currently exist on our state highways and the urgent need to protect and restore California’s native fisheries in the face of a changing climate.
Testimony will address the problem created by fish passage barriers and the urgent need for fish to access headwater habitats.
“California’s endangered fish populations are on the brink, especially in the face of a changing climate,” Sen. McGuire said. “There’s a lot this state can do to help the recovery of endangered fish species, and one of the most critical steps we can take is to remove the thousands of fish migration barriers that exist due to our state highway system. We look forward to the collaborative discussion on Tuesday and developing a long term plan to implement fish friendly highways.”
The public is welcome to attend. The hearing will also be live-streamed at www.senate.ca.gov.
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