The California state senate has passed legislation that would make several changes to how the state’s Dungeness crab fishery is managed, most notably by freeing up commercial fishing vessels to transit through closed areas even if they have crabs on board.
“The commercial fishing fleet is the lifeblood of rural coastal communities here on the North Coast,” State Senator Mike McGuire, who sponsored the bill, said in a release. “From Crescent City to Half Moon Bay, we depend on the success and sustainability of California’s commercial and recreational fishing fleet. SB 1393 advances the modern management needed to protect our natural resources, strengthen our fisheries, and keep our coastal and rural economies strong for years to come.”
The bill includes recommendations made by the Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF), a body created by the legislature as a vehicle for commercial fishers to propose statutory changes to the state’s Dungeness crab fishery management. If passed into law, the legislation would authorize commercial fishers to transit through closed fishing areas with crab and traps on board – something currently prohibited under state law. Vessels would be required to submit a notice of intent to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 72 hours before entering the closed area. Vessels must also maintain continuous transit through those closed waters with a fully operational electronic monitoring system, though exemptions could be made for mechanical issues.
The legislation would also extend a sunset clause for several Dungeness crab programs, including the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program designed to reduce whale entanglements in the fishery. That program was set to expire in 2030, but under the new legislation it would be extended to 1 January 2040.
The bill would also create a Dungeness Crab Fleet subaccount filled with unspent funds from the Dungeness Crab Account. The subaccount would be managed by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, with the money used to support the DCTF.
“SB 1393 has been long thought out by Fleet representatives and Senator McGuire. This legislation gives California’s commercial fishermen the regulatory certainty they need to plan their seasons and protect their livelihoods,” Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association President George Bradshaw said in a release. “Fishermen in every port of the Golden State are grateful to Senator McGuire for his continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of the men and women who make their living from California’s multi-million-dollar fishing industry.”
The state senate passed the bill unanimously 28 May and sent it over to the state house of representatives to be approved as well.
