California Fish and Game Commission Revokes Commercial Fishing Licenses of Two California Fishermen

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:22:45 GMT

The California Fish and Game Commission has revoked the commercial fishing licenses and permits of two fishermen after extensive histories of violations in the lobster and Dungeness crab fisheries.

At its June 11-12, 2025, meeting, the Commission – acting on California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommendations – revoked the commercial fishing license and lobster operator permit of Christopher James Miller, 68, of Santa Barbara, and the commercial fishing license and Dungeness crab permit of Ronald Ghera, 45, of Fortuna.

Miller’s violations, spanning a decade, included abandoning 156 lobster traps around Santa Barbara and the Northern Channel Islands, leaving traps in the water after the season closure, failing to retrieve baited traps and filing inaccurate catch records.

Ghera’s record included abandoning 94 crab traps after the 2023 season and 74 after the 2024 season, failing to service traps within the required 96 hours, failing to submit mandatory reports, and fishing with untagged traps and improperly marked buoys.

“The majority of people who fish commercially are law-abiding and care about our fisheries,” said Nathaniel Arnold, Chief of the CDFW Law Enforcement Division. “There are a few individuals, however, who choose to partake in commercial poaching. These individuals will eventually be caught and will likely lose the privilege to commercially fish in this state through either criminal or administrative actions.”

CDFW emphasizes that compliance with commercial fishing regulations – particularly removing traps at the end of each season—is essential. Those who abandon traps not only endanger marine mammals and other wildlife that can become trapped or entangled in derelict gear, but they can also cause shortened fishing seasons for law-abiding fishers who depend on those opportunities for their livelihood.

Whether it’s hunting, recreational fishing, or commercial fishing, the privilege to harvest California’s fish and wildlife requires a high degree of mutual trust between the public and law enforcement. CDFW’s wildlife officers are entrusted with protecting the state’s marine fish and wildlife species by patrolling and enforcing the law along California’s 840-mile coastline, and together with the California Fish and Game Commission, will continue to review violations of commercial fishing cases and take decisive administrative action to prevent bad actors from further harming California’s ocean environment.

See something serious? Report it and help protect California’s fish and wildlife. You can:

Call CalTIP at (888) 334-2258 – available 24/7
Text “CALTIP” + your message to 847411 (tip411)
Download the CalTIP app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play to send tips anonymously.

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Media Contacts:
Andrew Halverson, CDFW Law Enforcement, (661) 428-9873
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

Delayed Recreational and Commercial Spiny Lobster Fisheries to Open in Los Angeles and Orange Counties

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 16:50:35 GMT

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham issued a declaration (PDF) to rescind the delay and open the recreational and commercial spiny lobster fisheries off Los Angeles and Orange counties following a recommendation (PDF) from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Based on samples examined by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), OEHHA determined that the consumption of spiny lobster in these areas no longer poses a significant threat for domoic acid exposure. In addition, CDPH has lifted a health advisory for spiny lobster that was in place for neighboring areas.

The recreational spiny lobster fishery will open at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13 in the previously delayed area between the Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area and the westernmost point of the Long Beach Breakwater. After this date, recreational lobster fishing will be open without advisories in all portions of the state regularly open to divers and hoop netters. The commercial spiny lobster fishery will open one hour prior to sunrise on Wednesday, Oct. 18 in the previously delayed area. Commercial traps are allowed to be deployed wired open in this area, but they may not be baited until one hour prior to sunrise on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Samples of spiny lobster collected on Oct. 2 and 9 indicated that all domoic acid levels were below the federal action level of ≥20 parts per million.

More information on recreational spiny lobster fishing regulations can be found on CDFW’s recreational lobster fishing web page including FAQs.

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Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

CDFW News

California Fish and Game Commission Revokes Commercial Fishing Licenses of Two California Fishermen

Delayed Recreational and Commercial Spiny Lobster Fisheries to Open in Los Angeles and Orange Counties