November 28, 2018

Protecting California’s Whales from Entanglement and Maintaining the Sustainability of the Dungeness Crab Fishery

Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture

November 28, 2018 - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Aquarium of the Bay - Farallon Room

PIER 39, The Embarcadero & Beach Street

San Francisco, CA 94133

Press Releases and Articles:

2018-11-27 McGuire hosts Fisheries Hearing in San Francisco Focused on California’s Whale Protection Efforts and State of the State on 2018-19 Crab Season 

2018-11-21  McGuire Hosts Hearing on CA's Crab Season & Whale Protection Efforts Next Week!

California seeks plan to protect whales and Dungeness crab fishery

CDFW Letter - Notice of Intent to Pursue Section 10 ITP

Disaster relief dollars for crab fishery

Crab fishermen and environmentalists square off over whale entanglements

State responds to ‘horrific’ entanglements

McGuire tackles crabbing, whale entanglement issues at committee hearing - CDFW director announces first of its kind conservation plan for state

The news is not all good when it comes to this year’s Dungeness crab season

Pacific crabbers file lawsuit against fossil fuel industry

McGuire to hold hearing on crab season, whale entanglements next week 

McGuire to report on North Coast crab

Fisheries hearing in San Francisco next week focused on whale protection efforts and state of the state on latest crab season

McGuire to Host Hearing on Whale Protection Efforts and State of Latest Crab Season

Video:

Archived video (scroll to 11/28/2018  “Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture” hearing)

Live feed - see Today's Events 11/28/2018 (on right)

Agenda:

Hearing agenda 

Background:

Hearing background summary 

Presenter biographies:

• Deborah Halberstadt

• Charlton Bonham

• Dr. Craig Shuman

• Benson Yee

• Noah Oppenheim

• Scott Benson

• Pieter Folkens

• Cotton Rockwood

• Kelly Sayce

• Dr. Jarrod Santora

• Sonke Mastrup

• Dr. Geoff Shester

• Dick Ogg

• Kristen Monsell

Presentations and/or outlines:

• Benson Yee

• Scott Benson

• Pieter Folkens

• Cotton Rockwood

• Dr. Jarrod Santora

• Dr. Geoff Shester

• Kristen Monsell

• Dr. Raphael Kudela

Additional information:

• SB 1309, McGuire. Fishing: Fisheries Omnibus Bill of 2018.

• SB 1310, McGuire. Fishing: Dungeness crab

• Domoic Acid and the Recreational Dungeness Crab Fishery: A brief history of monitoring and current recreational fishery information

• Southern Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Delayed in Ocean Waters North of Bodega Head Due to Public Health Hazard

• Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Delayed in Northern California

• 2018-19 Frequently Asked Questions for the Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery

• CDFW Invertebrates of Interest: Crabs 

• Health Advisories and Closures for California Finfish, Shellfish and Crustaceans

• Information on recreational season and summary of crab trap regulations 

• California Commercial Dungeness Crab Catch by Season, 1915/16-2017/18 (PDF)

• Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Updates to Vessel Size Restrictions - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

• CDPH Food and Drug Branch Domoic Acid information and links to test results

• PSMFC commercial Dungeness crab news

• PSMFC Tri-State Dungeness Crab (TSDC)

• 2015-16 Crab Fisheries Disaster Relief - Frequently Asked Questions 

• 2017 West Coast Whale Entanglement Summary, 2016 report, 2015 report

• 2018 West Coast Whale Entanglement Summary and Summary Report in pdf

• Large Whale Entanglement Response Program FAQ

• NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Fisheries Interactions web page

• Principles and guidelines for large whale entanglement response efforts

• Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program

• What is the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network?

• The International Whaling Commission (IWC) Expert Advisory Panel on Entanglement Response

• Reviewing the Gear Involved in West Coast Whale Entanglements - Forensic Review Workshop REPORT

• Preventing Whale Entanglement

• Co-occurrence of whales and Dungeness crab-pot fishing gear in the Bay Area

• Changes in seasonal abundance and timing of migration of whales in Central California

• High mortality of blue, humpback and fin whales from modeling of vessel collisions on the U.S. West Coast suggests population impacts and insufficient protection

• U.S. West Coast whale deaths from ship collisions outstrip federal limits

• Quantifying whale deaths and strategies to decrease vessel collisions off the Bay Area

• New study: West Coast ships kill more than 80 endangered whales annually  

• U.S. Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessments, 2018 (updated) - Summary Table 2018 Pacific (PDF, 3 pages)

• California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group (Working Group)

• California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group Fact Sheet

• Working Group Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP)

• 2018-19 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) Overview

• Working Group 2018-19 recommendations to advance the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) and reduce whale entanglements 

• 2017-18 RAMP Pilot Reflections and Lessons Learned 

• California Dungeness Crab Fishing Best Practices Guide

• New regulations to reduce the risk of marine life entanglements in commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear

• Dungeness Crab Trap Surface Gear Limitations and Gear Removal Time

• Working Group August 2018, Key Highlights & Next Steps

• Initial Trials Exploring Ropeless Fishing Technologies for the California Dungeness Crab Fishery

• Industry, agencies working to avoid whale entanglements

• Humpback Whales Feed in San Francisco Bay Through November

• Notice of Intent to Sue for Violations of Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act

• 17-10-3_CA_Dungeness_Crab_Entanglement_Complaint

• Lawsuit Over Whales, Sea Turtles Entangled in California Crab Gear Advances

• California sued for whale entanglements; crab fishing blamed

• Conservation group seeks judgement in California crab gear lawsuit

• OK Google: Find the Humpback Whales

• Additional crab related press releases, information and articles with links as of 1-1-2019 (please check for updates)

• Latest CDPH domoic acid testing results for  Dungeness and rock crab 1-4-2018

Recent Reports Submitted to the Legislature:

California Ocean Science Trust Report to the Legislature for 2014-2016 (August 6, 2018)

CDFW Marine Region - 2017 Year in Review

2017 West Coast (Whale) Entanglement Summary - NOAA

Progress on Achieving the Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision Goals - CDFW Report to the Legislature (October 2017)

2017-12-20 Dungeness Crab Task Force Legislative Report

2017 State Regulations to Protect Forage Fish per Fish and Game Code Section 7652

2016 California Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Program: 2007-2014 - Report to the Legislature

2016 Caltrans Fish Passage Report to the Legislature (October 2017)

Fish Passage Status and the State Highway System  (July 2017)

2017 CDFW Aquaculture Report to the Legislature

Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas - Final August 2016

CDFW Marine Region - 2016 Year in Review

2016 California Legislative Fisheries Forum - CDFW Annual Marine Fisheries Report (2015)