Commercial fishing: steelhead trout: Dungeness crab.

(1) Existing law requires a person taking steelhead trout in inland waters, in addition to a valid California sport fishing license and any applicable sport license stamp, to have in their possession a valid nontransferable steelhead trout fishing report-restoration card issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Existing law set the base fee for the card at $5 for the 2004 license year, subject to adjustment for inflation, as specified. Existing law requires revenues from the card to be deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and to be available for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to monitor, restore, or enhance steelhead trout resources consistent with specified law, and to administer the fishing report-restoration card program. Existing law requires the department to report to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2025, regarding the steelhead trout fishing report-restoration card program's projects undertaken using these revenues derived pursuant to that program, the benefits derived, and its recommendations for revising the fishing report-restoration card requirement, if any. These provisions are repealed as of January 1, 2027. Under existing law, any violation of the Fish and Game Code, or of any rule, regulation, or order made or adopted under that code, is a misdemeanor, except as provided. This bill would increase the base fee for a steelhead trout fishing report-restoration card to $15 for the 2027 license year. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature regarding the fishing report-restoration card program's projects on or before July 1, 2031, and on or before July 1, 2036, and would extend the operation of the program until January 1, 2037. Because this bill would extend the operation of the fishing report-restoration card requirements, the violation of which would be a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group and other stakeholders, to adopt regulations establishing criteria and protocols to evaluate and respond to potential risk of marine life entanglement, as prescribed. Existing law authorizes the Director of Fish and Wildlife to restrict the take of Dungeness crab pursuant to the criteria and protocols. Existing law makes it unlawful to take or possess Dungeness crab from any waters closed, or otherwise violate any restriction on take imposed, pursuant to these provisions. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2030. This bill would extend the operation of these, and related, Dungeness crab provisions until January 1, 2040. By extending the operation of existing provisions, a violation of which is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a vessel to transit closed waters with Dungeness crab traps and Dungeness crab on board the vessel if specified conditions are met, as provided. (3) Existing law provides for the development and administration of a Dungeness crab task force. Existing law imposes various duties on the task force, including making specified recommendations to the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, the department, and the Fish and Game Commission. Existing law establishes the Dungeness Crab Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. Existing law requires, through the 2029 fiscal year, a specified sum to be allocated to the Ocean Protection Council to support the administration and facilitation of the Dungeness crab task force. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2030. This bill would extend the operation of those task force provisions until January 1, 2040. The bill would establish the Dungeness Crab Fleet Subaccount within the Dungeness Crab Account. The bill would require the moneys in the subaccount to be managed and overseen by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, would require the moneys to be used to implement a spending plan that the bill would require the Dungeness crab task force to develop, as provided. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.