News Archive

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that as of 12:01 a.m. Monday Aug. 21, 2023, the 50 fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line for the Northern Groundfish Management Area (GMA), from the California/Oregon state line to Cape Mendocino, will take effect.

The recreational Pacific halibut fishery will close statewide on Friday, Aug. 4 at 11:59 p.m. Based on the latest catch projections, CDFW expects the 2023 California recreational quota of 39,520 net pounds will be reached by this date.

Retention of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) is prohibited statewide in both the recreational and commercial fisheries effective Aug. 7.

USFWS and CDFW are responding to reports of a 5-year-old female southern sea otter exhibiting concerning and unusual behaviors in Santa Cruz, California, including repeatedly approaching surfers and kayakers recreating in the area.

The California Fish and Game Commission acted unanimously to enact a full closure of California’s recreational salmon fishing season in the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley rivers through its annual process for adjusting seasons and bag limits on Tues., May 17, 2023.