News Archive

On April 6, 2023, the Pacific Fishery Management Council acted unanimously to recommend a full closure of California’s 2023 commercial and recreational ocean salmon seasons due to extremely low population estimates for Sacramento and Klamath river fall Chinook salmon. Within hours of the recommendation, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his administration’s request for a federal fishery disaster declaration to support impacted communities.

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.

Yesterday, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved changes to the 2024 groundfish season opening dates, fishing depths and bag limits.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) has produced three options for ocean salmon seasons beginning May 16, 2024. Two of the three alternatives would authorize short ocean salmon season dates and establish small harvest limits for commercial and sport fishing off California in 2024. The third alternative would close the ocean fisheries off California for a second consecutive year.

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and CDFW announced the 2024 grantees for the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund. Approximately $172,800 in funding will help 12 programs in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas and Rhode Island to bring fishing, boating and aquatic stewardship education opportunities to Hispanic families.