March 13, 2026 Commercial Fishery Closure and Recreational Crab Trap Prohibition
Summary
SCH Number
2026030700
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
March 13, 2026 Commercial Fishery Closure and Recreational Crab Trap Prohibition
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/17/2026
Document Description
California commercial Dungeness crab fishery season closure in Fishing Zones 4-5 and recreational fishery Crab Trap Prohibition in Fishing Zones 4-5 to reduce risk of marine life entanglement
Contact Information
Name
Ryan Bartling
Agency Name
CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
state ocean waters
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Type, Section Number or Code Number: Section 15307 (Class 7); 15308 (Class 8)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project will reduce the areas 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 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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