California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced the continuation of the 50 percent Gear Reduction in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 for the commercial fishery and the continuation of the Fleet Advisory for all Fishing Zones in both the commercial and recreational fisheries.
As humpback whale arrivals are expected to increase in the coming weeks, the recreational and commercial fleet should anticipate modifications to existing Management Actions (including potential Fishing Zone closures) at the next Risk Assessment.
The next scheduled risk assessment is expected to occur on or around Mar. 29, 2024. For more information and supporting documentation, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries webpage.