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Recent News Releases

Scientific Surveys Show Continued Decline in White Sturgeon Population
July 9, 2025
Recent results from white sturgeon monitoring surveys by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) suggest the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) population has continued to decline. CDFW fisheries biologists now estimate there are approximately 6,500 white sturgeon between 40-60 inches long in California – down sharply from the previous estimate of approximately 30,000 fish in that size range, based on the 2016-2021 survey average.
Decade of Wolf Management: CDFW Report Details Wolf Research, Conservation Efforts
July 2, 2025
“Ten Years of Gray Wolf Conservation and Management in California: 2015-2024” details CDFW’s wolf conservation and management efforts, including wolf monitoring techniques, wolf-livestock depredation investigations, wolf captures and population data for the state’s wolf packs known through 2024, including the minimum number of individuals, breeding pairs and litters produced.
July 2025 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Calendar
June 30, 2025
The CDFW July Calendar of events is now available.
Line Up Some Summer Fun on Free Fishing Days
June 30, 2025
This year you can catch an opportunity to fish throughout California without a fishing license on two Free Fishing Days — Saturday, July 5, and Saturday, Aug. 30.
Ocean Salmon Fishery Achieves Summer Catch Limit; Will Reopen in September
June 23, 2025
California’s June 7-8 Ocean salmon season offered some of the best fishing many longtime anglers can remember. Fast action, quick limits and bustling harbors characterized the weekend along much of the coast with a hot salmon bite reported as far south as San Luis Obispo County. Excellent ocean conditions from Crescent City all the way down to Avila Beach allowed anglers to get out both days and try to catch the iconic sport fish in ocean waters for the first time since 2022.
CDFW Now Accepting Applications for Deer Hunting Opportunities at Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve
June 18, 2025
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting applications for deer hunting opportunities at the Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve in Sacramento County for the 2025 A Zone general season and the D-5 Zone archery and general seasons.
California Fish and Game Commission: Joshua Tree Conservation Plan Review Bumped to August; Butte County’s Tufaro Named Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year
June 17, 2025
Last week the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) continued its decision on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan to its August meeting to allow more time for public and stakeholder review of recent revisions to the draft plan. The June 11-12 meeting of the Commission also brought Butte County Deputy District Attorney Michael Tufaro to Sacramento to be recognized as 2024 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year.
Southern California Pacific Sardine Domoic Acid Restrictions Lifted
June 13, 2025
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has lifted the commercial and recreational take restrictions for human consumption of Pacific sardine in the Southern California Bight. This action comes after receiving recommendations (commercial and recreational) from state health agencies that Pacific sardine no longer pose a human health risk caused by domoic acid.
CDFW Closes Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery in Northern Management Area to Protect Whales from Entanglement
June 13, 2025
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced a season closure in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (CA/OR border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line, 38°46.125’ N latitude) to further reduce the risk of entanglement in crab fishing gear.
CDFW Launching Pilot Effort to Reduce Gray Wolf Attacks on Livestock
June 9, 2025
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today that it is launching a summer strike team in partnership with federal and local agencies to combat livestock depredations by gray wolves in Siskiyou County and the Sierra Valley (spanning both Sierra and Plumas counties).