Proposed Amendments to Recreational Fishing Regulations for Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod, Title 14, California Code of Regulations

Proposed Amendments to Recreational Fishing Regulations for Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod, Title 14, California Code of Regulations

The proposed regulations would continue to restore access to fishing depths that have been closed since 2023 to recreational fishing for RCG and lingcod to avoid encounters with quillback rockfish. To maintain catch of certain species within federally set allowable take levels, a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish, and inclusion of the cryptic-species sunset rockfish continue to be necessary to limit conservation risk. The Commission routinely adopts regulations for recreational RCG and lingcod for consistency with federal regulations, including those designed to keep catches within harvest limits. The purpose of the proposed project is to restore access to fishing grounds based upon updated scientific stock assessment information for the quillback rockfish stock off California. The current unwarranted restrictions highly constrain and concentrate recreational fishing access and efforts to a limited area of the state’s waters. The proposed regulations would continue to remove these unneeded constraints, thereby alleviating this risk of redirection of recreational fishing efforts and pressure on RCG and lingcod stock in both federal and state waters. Additionally, adoption of scientifically based seasons, depth constraints, and other management measures provides for the protection of quillback rockfish and other RCG species and lingcod to ensure their continued existence. The proposed certificate of compliance action will also continue to implement a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish and maintain sunset rockfish limits which also serve to protect these rockfish species.

statewide

Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba

Statewide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Baldwin Hills Conservancy (BHC), California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Planning (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Inland Deserts Region 6 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Central Region 2 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern and Eureka Region 1 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, South Coast Region 5 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 1 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 10 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 11 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 12 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 2 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 3 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 5 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 6 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 7 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 8 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, District 9 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region 3 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Redding Region 5 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Colorado River Basin Region 7 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan South Lake Tahoe Region 6 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Victorville Region 6 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region 4 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Diego Region 9 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region 8 (RWQCB), California San Diego River Conservancy (SDRC), California San Joaquin River Conservancy (SJRC), California Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), California State Lands Commission (SLC), California Tahoe Conservancy, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Colorado River Board, Delta Protection Commission, Delta Stewardship Council, Office of Historic Preservation, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), Santa Monica Bay Restoration, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)

Other (Rockfish, cabezon, greenling & lingcod recreational fishing regs)

N/A

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire