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California Fish and Game Commission Approves Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, Quino Checkerspot Butterfly CESA Candidacy and Increase in Fishing Opportunities for Recreational Groundfish
The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) has approved the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, a living document that aims to conserve western Joshua trees pressured by habitat loss and a warming climate.
Other matters acted on by the Commission at its Aug. 13-14 meeting include designating Quino checkerspot butterfly as a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and adopting emergency regulations to reopen recreational rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod fisheries north of Point Conception.
Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan
The 2023 Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to develop the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan in collaboration with the Commission, other government agencies, California Native American tribes and the public.
The act also calls for CDFW to include tribal co-management principles, provide for the relocation of western Joshua trees to tribal lands upon request, and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge.
“The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act is the first state law for an iconic species that expressly directs CDFW to create a conservation plan that includes co-management with California Native American tribes,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “I appreciate this part of the act as being powerful — CDFW welcomes this.”
“The conservation plan is a living document, which was reaffirmed today with the most recent updates to the permitting and relocation guidelines,” said Commission President Erika Zavaleta. “Holistically, we have to keep improving the plan, use its flexibility to solve problems around competing interests and implement lessons as they arise, with the broad goal of conserving western Joshua tree while respecting and supporting the needs of our tribal partners and desert communities.”
Quino Checkerspot Butterfly
The Quino checkerspot butterfly was designated by the Commission as a candidate for CESA listing. The species now proceeds to the status review stage of the CESA process and is protected during that time.
Quino checkerspot butterflies have been extirpated from 75% of their historic range in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties due to threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, agriculture and climate change.
The Commission adopted amendments to regulations for the recreational take of CESA candidate white sturgeon, as well as changes to reporting requirements.
Catch-and-release fishing for white sturgeon will continue to be available for anglers as previously established by emergency regulations that were set to expire in September 2025. The adopted amendments also change the sturgeon fishing report card from a calendar-year-based season (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31) to align with the sturgeon fishing season that runs from Oct. 1 through June 30. Anglers will be able to get a sturgeon report card at no fee for the Oct. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, season to help accommodate this change. Sturgeon report cards will be $7.50 starting with the 2026-27 season.
When submitting the proposed new regulations to the Commission, CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief Jay Rowan stated, “The best available science suggests that non-lethal take via a catch-and-release fishery will not harm the long-term viability of white sturgeon in California.”
The Commission adopted emergency regulations to reopen recreational rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod fisheries to all depths north of Point Conception through the end of the calendar year. These emergency regulations, which also include a new sub-bag limit for canary rockfish, are expected to take effect in the next few weeks. To learn more about the adopted regulations, review the detailed press release.
The Commission approved proposed amendments to the Market Squid Fishery Management Plan (MSFMP).
The MSFMP was originally drafted over the course of five years and published in March 2005. In 2023, CDFW initiated a review process for the market squid fishery and convened a Squid Fishery Advisory Committee. The committee was charged with reviewing the fishery and advising CDFW on potential changes to improve California market squid fishery management. Many of the recommended changes are now amendments to the original MSFMP.
In a separate action, the Commission adopted regulatory amendments for the commercial take of market squid that implement new provisions of the revised MSFMP.
The Commission adopted a 90-day extension of emergency regulations related to the commercial take of coonstripe shrimp.
The Commission adopted regulatory amendments for recreational crab fishing gear. This includes a new commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) trap validation that originated from a public request that will no longer require CPFV customers to purchase individual trap validations when fishing from CPFVs. The amendments also update the surface gear requirements for hoop nets (used north of Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County) to minimize the risk of whale entanglements.
Meeting Participation and Next Meeting
Commission President Erika Zavaleta and commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin and Eric Sklar were in attendance for both days of the August Commission meeting held in Sacramento. Vice President Samantha Murray and Commissioner Darius Anderson were absent.
The complete agenda for the meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Oct. 8-9 in Sacramento. Participants are encouraged to attend in person, with options available for Zoom or phone; for the agenda and more information visit the Commission website.
The Commission authorized staff to notify the public of potential regulation changes related to:
Bull kelp harvest restrictions. A discussion and adoption hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8-9 on temporary commercial bull kelp harvest restrictions along the north coast and closure of lease-only administrative kelp beds.
Recreational red abalone closure. A discussion hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9-10 and an adoption hearing for Dec. 11-12 on a 10-year extension of the red abalone recreational fishery closure.
Invasive mussels and green crab restricted species listing. An adoption hearing for a regular rulemaking is scheduled for Oct. 8-9 to add the invasive, non-native golden mussel, pond mussel and axe-head mussel (among others), as well as green crab to the list of live animals restricted from importation, transportation and possession.
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