March 28, 2024 Commercial Fishery Closure/Depth Constraint and Recreational Crab Trap Prohibition
Summary
SCH Number
2024040716
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
March 28, 2024 Commercial Fishery Closure/Depth Constraint and Recreational Crab Trap Prohibition
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/17/2024
Document Description
California commercial Dungeness crab fishery season closure in Fishing Zones 3-6, commercial fishery Depth Constraint in Fishing Zones 1-2, and recreational fishery Crab Trap Prohibition in Fishing Zones 3-5 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
Statewide coastal waters
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 reduce the areas and depths fished by the commercial Dungeness crab fishery and prohibit the use of traps for recreational fishery 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, depth constraint and trap prohibition 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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