CDFW Schedules Risk Assessment Update on Marine Life Entanglement

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Monday announced plans for an assessment on or about Friday, Dec. 8 to determine the marine life entanglement risk for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery.

In addition, regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission will allow CDFW director Chuck Bonham the authority to apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement risk informed by the state’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP).

The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group is to meet Dec. 6 to review available data and CDFW’s preliminary assessment, after which Bonham is to consider all data available to CDFW prior to determining the appropriate management action to minimize entanglement risk.

CDFW officials said all materials would be posted on its Whale Safe Fisheries webpage, https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Whale-Safe-Fisheries?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery, as they become available.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/cdfw-schedules-risk-assessment-update-on-marine-life-entanglement/