The affidavit will help estimate the number of traps lost during a season, and provides CDFW with needed essential fisheries information to help inform future management decisions. The additional spatial information on trap loss will also be useful for informing gear recovery programs, identifying potential conflicts within the marine environment, and for the issue of marine mammal gear interactions.
No, the Commission has declined to adopt the measure at this time.
The recreational lobster season opener start time has changed from 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. for safety purposes. However, the commercial lobster season will stay the same.
Branding of commercial trap floats is allowed in addition to paint-based markings, so long as the commercial fishing license number is in a “color which contrasts with that of the buoy.”
Yes, lobster traps not retrieved 14 days after the close of the commercial lobster season will be considered abandoned. From 15 days after the close of the season through September 15, an unlimited number of lobster traps may be retrieved by a lobster operator permit holder or a CDFW designee and transported to shore.
Yes, commercial fishermen are allowed to possess up to two lobster operator permits, with no restriction on the type of lobster operator permits in possession. If a transferable lobster permit is transferred to a person already in possession of a valid transferable lobster operator permit and a non-transferable lobster operator permit, the non-transferable permit is rendered null and void. That non-transferable permit and the trap tags associated with it must be immediately surrendered to CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch. Here is the new
Lobster Operator Permit Transfer Application - DFW 1702 (PDF).
Yes, the FMP lists possible management measures to be implemented in the future if needed, including adjusting the trap limit. So yes, it is possible that in the future the trap limit could be increased or decreased. However, this is not expected in the near future.