Dungeness Crab Task Force Meeting #17- October 29-30, 2024 - In Person

Dungeness Crab Task Force Meeting #17- October 29-30, 2024 – In Person

Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 9:00 AM

Justice Joseph Rattigan State Office, Room 410
50 D St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

View the meeting materials (scroll down to “DCTF Meeting #17 – October 29-30 – In Person”).

Meeting Goals:

Receive updates relevant to the Dungeness crab industry and ensure Members have access to information that may inform DCTF deliberations during this meeting.
Discuss high-priority topics, including, but not limited to, marine life entanglements and the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP 2.0), 96-hour gear servicing rule, the public comment period around proposed amendments to Section 132.2, Title 14, CCR, funding requests, Dungeness crab account surplus, and transiting a closed area with crab onboard.
Identify recommendations to be forwarded via a report to the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Fish and Game Commission.

Agenda

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

1. Welcome, introductions, and agenda review.

2. Public comment on non-agenda items.

3. Receive updates and discuss California Dungeness crab fishery topics including, but not limited to, California’s preseason quality and domoic acid testing, 2023-24 season landings, changes to fishing blocks, Senate Bill 80, progress on previous DCTF recommendations, etc.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendations related to updates, which may include, but not limited to, requests for information, requests for funding, reaffirming previous recommendations, or other management measure recommendations.

4. Revisit past DCTF recommendations regarding extending the 96-hour gear servicing interval.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendation(s) for changes to the in-season 96-hour gear servicing regulation.

5. Presentation of draft regulatory changes to Section 132.2 Title 14, CCR, including but not limited to retrieval of lost fishing gear in-season and post-season to address entanglement concerns.

6. Discussion about marine life entanglements in the California Dungeness crab fishery and the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP) including, but not limited to, the draft Conservation Plan, anticipated regulatory changes, line marking, electronic monitoring, etc.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendation(s) related to marine life entanglements and RAMP including, but not limited to, regulatory requests, line marking, etc.

7. Discussion about the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program accounting and how to address the program’s surplus and continued accumulation.

8. Review agenda topics for Day 2

9. Adjourn

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

10. Welcome and recap of Day 1.

11. Public comment on non-agenda items.

12. Discuss solutions to address Dungeness crab fishermen’s concerns that they cannot transit a closed area with Dungeness crab onboard.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendation(s) that will allow Dungeness crab fishermen to transit a closed fishing zone with Dungeness crab onboard.

13. Revisit discussions from Day 1, including but not limited to, draft regulatory changes to Section 132.2 Title 14, CCR, the Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program surplus, marine life entanglements and RAMP.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendations related to gear retrieval, including but not limited to public comments on Section 132.2 Title 14, CCR.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendation(s) to address the surplus funds resulting from the Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program.

ACTION: Consideration and possible recommendation(s) related to marine life entanglements and RAMP but not limited to anticipated RAMP amendments, line marking funding, etc.

14. Review next steps and confirm topics for future discussion by the DCTF and/or the Executive Committee.

a. Administrative Vote: Consideration and possible confirmation of priority items for the Executive Committee’s consideration.

15. Adjourn

Agenda items and related action items may be taken out of order at the discretion of the DCTF Administrative Team. Every effort will be made to address all items on the agenda. However, the DCTF may postpone certain discussions or actions due to time limitations or the need to revisit topics with their constituents before moving an item forward.

Public Participation and Comment: Members of the public will be invited to provide comment following each agenda item. Additional information about providing public comment is available online. To request an item to be added to a future meeting agenda, please review the guidelines online.

Questions about the meeting or agenda can be directed to info@dungenesscrabtaskforce.com or 805-845-9852. Any person who has a disability and requires reasonable accommodation to participate in this DCTF meeting should contact Rachelle Fisher (rachelle@strategicearth.com or or 714-330-7976) no later than five days prior to the meeting.

For more information about the DCTF, please visit the DCTF website. A meeting summary will be posted on the DCTF webpage following the meeting. To receive updates about the DCTF’s activities, including when summaries are available, please sign up for the DCTF email list.