November 21, 2022 Commercial and Recreational Crab Season Delay and Trap Prohibition
Summary
SCH Number
2022110495
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
November 21, 2022 Commercial and Recreational Crab Season Delay and Trap Prohibition
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/21/2022
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 November 21, 2022, the Director of the Department signed a declaration delaying the season opening of the California commercial Dungeness crab fishery between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and the U.S./Mexico border, as well as temporarily prohibiting the use of recreational crab traps.
Contact Information
Name
Ryan Bartling
Agency Name
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist, Supervisor
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Statewide Coastal Waters
Regions
Statewide
Other Location Info
ocean waters between Sonoma/Mendocino county line and 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 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. Lines and buoys of Dungeness crab traps pose a marine life entanglement risk, especially for whales and sea turtles migrating through California waters. The closure 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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