December 9, 2021 CA Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Depth Restriction
Summary
SCH Number
2021120198
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
December 9, 2021 CA Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery Depth Restriction
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/9/2021
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) has taken final action under the Fish and Game Code and Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations with respect to the above-referenced project. On December 9, 2021, the Director of the Department signed a declaration continuing the existing delay in the season opening of the California commercial Dungeness crab fishery between the Sonoma/Mendocino county line and Pigeon Point continuing the temporarily prohibition on the use of recreational crab traps in that area, implementing a Depth Constraint on fishing activity in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery between Pigeon Point and Lopez Point and issuing a Fleet Advisory for ocean waters statewide.
Contact Information
Name
Ryan Bartling
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Mendocino, Sonoma
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
Sonoma/Mendocino county line -ocean waters to Lopez Point -ocean waters
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15307 (Class 7); 15308 (Class 8)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project will delay the opening of the season of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery and temporarily prohibit the use of recreational crab traps in response to marine life entanglement risk, and well as place a depth constraint prohibiting fishing activity in areas where humpback whales have been observed. Lines and buoys of Dungeness crab traps pose a marine life entanglement risk, especially for whales and sea turtles migrating through California waters. The delay/temporary trap prohibition and depth constraint will have the overall effect of reducing the entanglement risk by preventing traps from being set in areas of the marine environment where whales and sea turtles are present, and thereby is the proper subject of CEQA’s Class 7 and 8 categorical exemptions.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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