California Outdoors Q&A

Photo by CDFW Pollinator Coordinator Dr. Hillary Sardiñas.

Monarchs

Q: Is the monarch butterfly now listed as endangered?

A: In July 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) re-classified the migratory monarch butterfly as endangered on its “red list.” It had previously been classified as declining. IUCN’s action will help draw attention to the causes of the monarch’s decline, including habitat loss, climate change and pesticide exposure. The decrease has been steeper in the western population that overwinters in California than in the eastern population that overwinters in Mexico.

However, the IUCN classification does not translate to legal or regulatory protections for the species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded that listing monarchs under the Federal Endangered Species Act would be warranted but is precluded due to other high priority species. Currently, the monarch is scheduled to be federally listed in 2024. Monarchs are not listed as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The process for CESA listing can be found at fgc.ca.gov/cesa.

In early 2022, new data showed that overwintering numbers for western monarch butterflies increased to almost 250,000. While these numbers are encouraging, this one-year trend does not represent a full recovery given that historically monarchs numbered in the millions along the California coast.

Nevertheless, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) remains cautiously optimistic and inspired to build on the past year’s success. We are focused on improving management of CDFW-owned overwintering sites, increasing the availability of early-season native milkweed to support first generation monarchs, and enhancing collaboration with state and federal partners to catalyze monarch conservation throughout California.

For more information visit CDFW’s monarch butterfly webpage which includes a section on frequently asked questions.

Salmon fishing

Q: When fishing for salmon, is it legal to use a jig over three ounces with treble hooks or does it have to be a single hook?

A: In the scenario you described, the angler would have to use a single hook only and not a treble hook. It is unlawful to use any multiple hook or more than one single hook on non-buoyant artificial lures exceeding one ounce. This information is covered in pages 17-18 of the California Freshwater Sportfishing Regulations. The regulation is designed to prevent the snagging of salmon.

Halibut

Q: Is it legal to gaff a California halibut as long as it's longer than the 22-inch minimum size limit? I'm curious about this for boating and shore fishing.

A: Yes, you may gaff legal-sized halibut. Gaffs may be used to land most species that are equal to or greater than the minimum size limit, per California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 28.65(d). Gaffs are not allowed for the take of species that have a defined, allowed method of take or have a prohibition on snagging. Examples include, but are not limited to, sturgeon and striped bass. Section 28.65(d) also specifies that a landing net with an opening diameter of 18 inches or greater must be aboard when fishing from a boat or floating device in ocean waters.

For additional information see CDFW’s fact sheet on handling short halibut (PDF).

Bear sightings

Q: I live in the north Bay Area and heard about a bear sighting in a residential area. What should I do if I see a bear?

A: If you see a bear in an urban area, we suggest notifying local law enforcement or your CDFW regional office. Your local police or sheriff’s department will be in the best position to respond quickly and secure the area if there is a public safety issue. Local law enforcement can also contact CDFW and animal control authorities for assistance. That being said, the appropriate response to seeing a bear depends on the situation.

• Note that when bears enter urban areas, they’re usually looking for food. The best way to keep a bear away from your property is to eliminate all attractants like unsecured garbage and pet food. For more tips, visit CDFW’s Human-Wildlife Conflicts Program webpage.
• Seeing a bear on the outskirts of town in a less populated area might warrant a call to your local police or sheriff department’s non-emergency number. You might consider programming your local law enforcement non-emergency phone number into your phone.
• If there’s a possible threat to public safety, call 911. For example, seeing a bear walking through a heavily populated area would warrant a 911 call.
• If an animal has damaged your property or you want to report an encounter with a bear, you may submit a wildlife incident report online to CDFW via the statewide Wildlife Incident Reporting System.

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Russian River steelhead

Q: This year’s steelhead return numbers in the Russian River are low. Is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Warm Springs Hatchery doing anything to improve the situation?

A: As anglers ourselves, we sympathize with the frustration of low steelhead return numbers so far this year. It’s important to remember that the recent steelhead return numbers are preliminary. Peak spawning for steelhead is in February, so it’s still too early to say anything conclusive about this year’s returns. It’s also important to remember that there are many elements beyond CDFW’s control. CDFW cares for steelhead at the hatchery for one year. But the steelhead life cycle is 2-3 years, and they spend much of that time in the ocean where environmental factors impact behavior. Despite modern scientific data and all the resources we have available, the life history of steelhead remains a bit of a mysterious odyssey. The journey from freshwater to the ocean and back is filled with perils, obstacles and unknowns.

Under CDFW’s new hatchery genetic management plan, production this year and moving forward has been reduced from 500,000 to 400,000. CDFW’s goals at both the Warm Springs Hatchery and Coyote Valley Fish Facility are to release 200,000 smolts from each location for a total of 400,000 juvenile steelhead released to the Russian River watershed annually. Standard anadromous hatchery practices can yield a one percent return annually but fluctuate depending on environmental conditions. Steelhead are produced to help sustain a healthy population in the Russian River for future generations, and to provide maximum angler opportunity while adhering to best hatchery management practices.

Western monarchs

Q: New data shows that overwintering numbers for western monarch butterflies improved to almost 250,000 in the past year. Has the western monarch population recovered?

A: Although CDFW is cautiously optimistic about the new data, it does not represent a full recovery. The 2021-22 overwintering numbers improved significantly but they still represent a one-year trend. Prior to the 1980s, California hosted between one to four million overwintering butterflies each year. When viewed through that lens, 200,000 western monarchs is less than 20 percent of the historical average. When viewed through that lens, 200,000 western monarchs is less than 85 percent of historic numbers. We saw western monarchs decline from around 200,000 to less than 2,000 in just three years (2016-2018), indicating they are still vulnerable at that population size. Finally, monarchs were concentrated in overwintering sites along the Central Coast between Los Angeles and Monterey counties, while the Bay Area supported fewer than 600 monarchs this year despite having robust populations in the past. We’d like to see monarch numbers increase across their entire historic range and better understand why they were not uniformly distributed this year.

Despite these concerns, CDFW remains encouraged by the data and inspired to build on the past year’s success. We’re focused on improving management of CDFW-owned overwintering sites and increasing the availability of early-season milkweed to support first generation monarchs. We encourage the public to use habitat-based approaches to conservation (such as planting regionally appropriate native milkweed and nectar plant species) and to participate in community science projects that help track the status of the western monarch population.

Oil spills

Q: Which species of wildlife are most impacted by oil spills?

A: Many wildlife species, as well as plants and other natural resources, can be impacted by oil spills. However, seabirds and sea otters are most often impacted.

For seabirds, this is because: 1) There are comparatively more seabirds in California than other species at risk, such as marine mammals; 2) Seabirds spend a lot of time floating at the surface of the water, where most of the oil is; and 3) The microscopic structure of feathers that keeps birds waterproof is damaged, leading quickly to hypothermia.

Sea otters are vulnerable to oil spills because they spend most of their time on the surface of the water and use their dense fur (with a microscopic structure similar in some ways to feathers) to keep warm.

CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is the state’s public trustee in protecting, managing and restoring California’s wildlife and habitat after an oil spill. OSPR works to protect and preserve 3,400 miles of shoreline and 7,700 square miles of state waters from petroleum substances. When a spill occurs, OSPR works with partner agencies and deploys a team of wildlife officers, scientists and oil spill prevention specialists to manage the state’s response.

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