April 17, 2026 Commercial Season Closure and Depth Constraint
Summary
SCH Number
2026040908
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region 7
(CDFW)
Document Title
April 17, 2026 Commercial Season Closure and Depth Constraint
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/20/2026
Document Description
California commercial Dungeness crab fishery Season Closure in Fishing Zone 3 and 30-fathom Depth Constraint in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 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
Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
ocean waters statewide
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15307 (Class 7); 15308 (Class 8)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project will reduce the areas and depths fished by the commercial Dungeness crab 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 depth constraint 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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