California Department of Fish and Wildlife Archives

CALIFORNIA: Proposed Marine Protected Area would restrict fishing near Morro BayValentina Saldaña

July 9, 2026 — A Marine Protected Area (MPA) petition filed by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI) includes the area from Morro Rock to the dog beach.

The MPA was one of 20 received by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2023. There were also 72 proposed regulatory changes.

“The original petition proposed the allowance of recreational take of finfish and invertebrates except mussels and scallops,” said Claire Wagonner, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Region Habitat Conservation Program Manager. “So it would’ve still continued to allow some recreational take.”

Waggoner said that changed in April when the tribe requested to amend the petition, allowing only tribal fishing for the SYBCI.

“It’s our livelihood,” said Lori French, a Morro Bay fisherman’s wife. “It’s his identity. It’s not like you just go to work and shut the job off.”

Read the full article at KSBY

CALIFORNIA: State Cites Health Hazard In Ban On Commercial Anchovy, Sardine Fishing

June 29, 2026 — State wildlife officials have restricted commercial fishing for northern anchovy and Pacific sardine in Monterey Bay after finding a toxin that can cause nausea, diarrhea and even death in humans.

Fish sampled from the bay contained elevated levels of domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin produced by a naturally occurring marine algae, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday.

The agency restricted the commercial take of northern anchovy and Pacific sardine for human consumption in the area south of Pigeon Point, San Mateo County, to a line due west from Point Lobos, Monterey County.

Read the full article at Bay City News Service

CALIFORNIA: California seafood restaurant fined for violating commercial fishing laws

June 2, 2026 — A Venice, California, U.S.A.-based seafood restaurant and people involved in the business have been ordered to pay more than USD 100,000 (EUR 86,004) after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) discovered multiple, repeat violations of the state’s commercial fishing regulations.

Law enforcement officials said Dudley Market and its businesses – Dudley Street Oyster Bar and Shark Bite Fish Co. – advertised its seafood as sustainably and legally harvested, but an investigation unveiled that the company was catching and selling fish without obtaining a commercial license, without landing their catch in port, and without documenting their harvest via electronic fish tickets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

CALIFORNIA: California launches digital tool to track reopened commercial salmon fishery

May 28, 2026 — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has launched new digital tools that allow both commercial and recreational fishers to track in-season harvests of ocean salmon.

“We’re excited to give salmon anglers the data they need to better plan their fishing seasons while at the same time leveraging technology to support in-season management and sustainable fisheries,” CDFW Director Meghan Hertel said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

CALIFORNIA: Commercial crabbing continues as Calif. expands trap restrictions

May 20, 2026 — California officials are expanding recreational crab trap restrictions along part of the state’s coast as humpback whales return to state waters, while commercial Dungeness crab fishing opportunities will remain open in some areas under existing management measures.

According to a May 15 announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), recreational crab traps will be prohibited in Fishing Zone 3, stretching from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line south to Pigeon Point, beginning at 6 p.m. on May 22. The move is intended to reduce the risk of whale entanglements under California’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP).

CDFW said recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, will still be allowed through the close of the season. Existing recreational crab trap prohibitions in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 will also remain in effect.

Commercial opportunities continue in other portions of the fishery, though restrictions remain in place. In Northern California’s Fishing Zones 1 and 2, the commercial fleet continues operating under a 15% gear reduction and 30-fathom depth constraint. Fishing Zone 3 closed to standard commercial gear on April 30, but approved alternative “pop-up” gear remains authorized.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: Not Quite a Full Catch: Salmon season returns with strict limits

April 30, 2026 — After a three-year hiatus, the long-awaited commercial salmon fishing season starts May 1 off the Northern California coast — but with a catch.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced a few weeks ago that fishery stakeholders in a working group have agreed to limit Chinook (king) salmon stocks available for the annual harvest to 83,000 fish this summer. Another 20,000 may be caught this fall starting Sept. 4 in the San Francisco and Monterey zones, extending north to Point Arena.

The announcement comes on the heels of yet another delay in crabbing, which is off the table for now as humpback whales linger offshore, where they risk becoming entangled in fishing gear.

“It’s not quite what we would have liked, but it’s a good supplement,” longtime Bodega Bay fisher Dick Ogg told NorthBay biz regarding the salmon fishing restriction.

The California Salmon Council chairman and Bodega Bay Fishing Management Association president calculated that each vessel operating North Coast waters may haul in 160 fish.

Read the full article at KSRO

CALIFORNIA: Calif. expands pop-up gear, closes Zone 3 crab fishery

April 21, 2026 — California fishery managers are tightening restrictions on the commercial Dungeness crab fleet as whale entanglement risk rises along the coast, while also expanding the use of alternative gear.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) director Meghan Hertel announced new actions under the state’s Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP), targeting Fishing Zone 1 through 3, spanning from the California/ Oregon border south to Pigeon Point.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: Commercial salmon fishing returns to Pillar Point Harbor after three-year closure

April 20, 2026 — This year, for the first time since a three-year near-total closure of the industry, commercial fishers will be out on the water catching salmon off Pillar Point Harbor.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which regulates the fishing industry, announced in a press release April 12 that specific improvements to California salmon populations have allowed for commercial salmon fishing to begin again.

“I’m going to have to remember how to do it,” local fisher Steve Meis joked. “We’ve got to figure out where all our gear is.”

Read the full article at Daily Journal

California salmon rebound allows commercial fishing return, more recreational days in 2026

April 14, 2026 — After three straight years of closure, commercial ocean salmon fishing is returning to California, driven an increase in key salmon populations, setting the stage for more recreational opportunities next year.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said due to growing numbers of fall-run Chinook in the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, commercial ocean salmon fishing will resume after a three-year closure. Recreational anglers will also have more opportunities in 2026.

“Seeing our salmon populations recover is incredibly heartening and demonstrates what’s possible when we all work together — state and federal partners, tribes, sport anglers and commercial fishing interests, NGOs and others – to do what’s best for salmon,” said CDFW Director Meghan Hertel. “Salmon are part of the cultural fabric of California, and I’m delighted more Californians will have the opportunity to enjoy these magnificent fish, whether that’s in the water, on the end of their fishing lines, or on their dinner plates.”

Read. the full article at KRCR

CALIFORNIA: Commercial salmon fishing returns in California

April 13, 2026 — The U.S. state of California has reopened commercial salmon fishing in state waters after a three-year closure.

Regulators signaled they were considering a commercial salmon fishery in 2026 after forecasts showed the population of Klamath and Sacramento River fall Chinook were at a level that could potentially sustain a fishery. Those predictions proved true, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said it is reopening the fishery.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource