CDFW Announces Publication of the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California

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A close-up photo of an adult Chinook salmon being held outside of the water in a hatchery environment.

Pacific Fishery Management Council Recommends Limited Recreational Ocean Salmon Season, Continued Closure for Commercial Salmon Fishing off California

15 April | by Peter.Tira@Wildlife.ca.gov | 0 Comment

On April 15, 2025, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) acted to recommend limited fishing opportunities for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of 2025. This decision will allow for the first recreational salmon fishing in California since 2022. The PFMC also recommended a repeat year of closure for California’s commercial salmon fisheries, the third year in a row.

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A translocated beaver swims at Maidu Summit Consortium’s Tásmam Koyóm CDFW photo by Travis VanZant

CDFW Sees ‘Ecosystem Engineers’ at Work in Beaver Restoration Pilot Projects

7 April | by Krysten.Kellum@Wildlife.ca.gov | 0 Comment

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) set out on its mission one-and-a-half years ago to begin returning beavers to watersheds throughout their native range in the state. Since then, the translocated beavers have begun their work as ecosystem engineers, initiating the restoration of wetlands and building resilience to the effects of climate change such as drought and wildfire.

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California map on crab fisheries.

CDFW Protects Returning Humpback Whales from Entanglement Risk While Providing Continued Fishing Opportunities for Dungeness Crab

3 April | by steve.gonzalez@wildlife.ca.gov | 0 Comment

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries. These changes, which will go into effect at 6 p.m. on April 15, 2025, are intended to provide continued fishing opportunities while minimizing entanglement risk as humpback whales return to forage off the coast of California.

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