News Archive

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response has settled violations stemming from a January 2021 incident in which the anchors of two vessels impacted an offshore oil pipeline, which later ruptured and discharged nearly 25,000 gallons of crude oil that impacted Orange County beaches.

CDFW Director Meghan Hertel has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries in Fishing Zones 4 and 5.

CDFW recently completed helicopter capture operations resulting in the satellite collaring of five gray wolves in northern California.

After a delay to the season opener due to elevated levels of domoic acid, the recreational Dungeness crab fishery opened today in Del Norte and Mendocino counties and part of Humboldt County, though trap restrictions remain in place due to elevated entanglement risk.

The Wildlife Conservation Board approved $87,125,538 in grants for 16 projects across 14 counties to protect critical wildlife habitat, restore rivers and streams, and conserve culturally and ecologically significant lands. Among these, seven projects advance the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, restoring fish passage, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and improving spawning and rearing habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead.