BILL ANALYSIS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER |
| Senator Fran Pavley, Chair |
| 2009-2010 Regular Session |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BILL NO: SB 1093 HEARING DATE: April 13, 2010
AUTHOR: Wiggins URGENCY: No
VERSION: April 5, 2010 CONSULTANT: Katharine Moore
DUAL REFERRAL: No FISCAL: Yes
SUBJECT: Ocean Protection Council: Dungeness Crab task force.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
The California Dungeness crab fishery is a valuable state
resource - approximately $24 million of crab are landed annually
- and is one of the most profitable fisheries remaining in the
state. However, the optimal long-term management strategy for
the fishery is a contentious issue due to the competing
interests of the multiple stakeholders.
In 2008, the Legislature passed SB 1690 (Wiggins, c.727, Stats.
2008) which directed the Ocean Protection Council, upon receipt
of appropriate funding, to make a grant to develop and
administer a Dungeness Crab Task Force (task force). Task force
membership, representative of varied fishery interests, was
specified in the bill. The task force was required to address
certain issues of concern to the Dungeness crab fishery and to
report its recommendations for management of the fishery to the
legislature, the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and
Game Commission by January 15, 2010. The current sunset date for
the bill's provisions, including termination of the task force,
is January 1, 2011.
PROPOSED LAW
This bill extends the sunset date for SB 1690 from January 1,
2011 to January 1, 2015.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
According to the author, the arguments expressed originally for
SB 1690 two years ago remain true: "Given the complexity of the
fishery and its management structure, a comprehensive approach
to effective management reform requires attention to the
1
short-term and longer-term institutions and process. An advisory
committee to work with the Department of Fish and Game, and the
Ocean Protection Council, on recommendations to address problems
in commercial crab fishing has garnered a fragile compromise."
The task force has made considerable progress, but specifically
recognizes that much remains to be done, particularly with
regard to the proposed pilot program. The task force "agrees
that while not perfect, the task force has provided a platform
for the industry to collaborate, and work with regulators and
decision-makers on Dungeness crab fishery management issues."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION
None received.
COMMENTS
Task force actions since the passage of SB 1690: The task force
was convened and held four multi-day meetings during 2009. The
task force issued a report containing four recommendations to
meet the January 15, 2010 deadline. They subsequently issued a
second report on March 31, 2010 with five management objectives
and 19 additional recommendations voted upon during a February
2010 meeting. In part, the second report expanded upon concepts
presented and issues raised in the first report. The proposed
management objectives focus primarily on reducing the threat of
unsustainable expansion to the commercial fishery. The
recommendations include:
a proposed pilot statewide program - to be implemented
by statute - of tiered crab pot limits (permit holders with
the largest catch would receive the most pots) in order to
assess the utility of this approach to fishery management,
various statements by the task force regarding aspects
of the fishery, and
an extension of the task force's lifetime to January 1,
2014 to permit their continued work beyond the original
sunset date of January 1, 2011, among other issues.
The task force acknowledges that several issues remain to be
resolved, particularly with respect to the design and
implementation of the proposed pilot program of tiered crab pot
limits.
Appropriate extension time period: The task force specifically
asked for a three, not four, year extension to the sunset date
2
(March 31, 2010 report, Recommendation 17). [see amendment 1]
Other issues : The task force plans to continue meeting in the
near term to discuss unresolved issues, including further
details of the tiered crab pot limit pilot program. If the task
force resolves additional issues this year, this bill may
subsequently be substantively amended to incorporate these
elements. The committee will want to review these amendments
should they occur.
SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS
AMENDMENT 1
On page 3, line 27 and page 3, line 39 and page 4, line 1:
Replace "2015" with "2014"
SUPPORT
None Received
OPPOSITION
None Received
3