Recreational Trap Prohibition and Depth Constraint for the California Dungeness Crab Commercial Fishery
Summary
SCH Number
2023050080
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
Recreational Trap Prohibition and Depth Constraint for the California Dungeness Crab Commercial Fishery
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/3/2023
Document Description
Recreational Trap Prohibition in Fishing Zones 3, 4 and 5 and Commercial Fishery 30-Fathom Depth Constraint in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 and continuation of the Fleet Advisory Statewide until Season Closure to reduce risk of marine life entanglement.
Contact Information
Name
Ryan Bartling
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Program Supervisor
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Regions
Statewide
Other Location Info
Ocean waters from the Oregon/California Border to US/Mexico Border
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15307 (Class 7); 15308 (Class 8)
Reasons for Exemption
In compliance with CEQA, the Department approved the project relying on the categorical exemptions contained in CEQA Guidelines of Title 14, CCR: Section 15307 (Action by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources) and Section 15308 (Action by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment). The exemptions apply to agency actions to protect natural resources and the environment, respectively.
The proposed project will prohibit the use of traps for recreational fishery, reduce the areas fished by the commercial Dungeness crab fishery, and continue a Fleet Advisory in response to marine life entanglement risk. Lines and buoys of Dungeness crab traps pose a marine life entanglement risk, especially for whales and sea turtles migrating through California waters. These management actions will have the overall effect of reducing the entanglement risk by decreasing the number of traps being set in areas of the marine environment where whales and sea turtles are present and is therefore the proper subject of CEQA’s Class 7 and 8 categorical exemptions.