BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2504
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Date of Hearing: May 16, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2504 (Beth Gaines) - As Amended: April 26, 2012
Policy Committee: Water, Parks and
Wildlife Vote: 13-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill repeals the prohibition on commercial take of crayfish
in Lake Tahoe or the Lake Tahoe Basin. The bill also states the
intent that any allowance for commercial take of crayfish is for
the primary purpose of population control and reduction of
signal crayfish, and invasive species, and that Fish and Game
Commission (FGC) regulations are consistent with the Lake Tahoe
Aquatic Species Management Act.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Minor one-time costs to FGC, likely in the low-to-mid tens of
thousands of dollars, to revise regulations to allow for a
commercial crayfish fishery in Lake Tahoe (Fish and Game
Preservation Fund). These costs could be recovered by a fee
on applicants to operate commercial crayfish operations in
Lake Tahoe.
2)Minor ongoing cost, likely in the low tens of thousands of
dollars, to the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) from
increased warden patrols around Lake Tahoe (FGPF). These
costs could be recovered by a fee on applicants to operate
commercial crayfish operations in Lake Tahoe.
3)Potential, significant costs, in the range of the low-to-mid
hundreds of thousands of dollars, to DFG to complete an
environmental impact report (EIR), consistent with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (FGPF).
COMMENTS
AB 2504
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1)Rationale . The author contends commercial harvest of crayfish
from Lake Tahoe will help to control an invasive species and
provide regional business opportunities.
2)No, You Cannot Commercially Harvest Crayfish From Lake Tahoe
(Except in Nevada). The signal crayfish is a thoroughly
established nonnative species to Lake Tahoe region. The
crayfish was intentionally introduced to the lake and region
in the 1800s as a food source, both for people and for
introduced fish species. The crayfish did well in their new
home: today, there are an estimated 220 million crayfish in
Lake Tahoe.
Crayfish are a critical part of Lake Tahoe's ecosystem, though
of questionable value. They provide food to fish species,
including invasive bass. They also contribute to algae
production near shore, which diminishes Lake Tahoe's clarity.
Reduction of crayfish number, or their eradication, may have a
significant effect on the lakes' plant and animal life and
aesthetic quality.
The ban on commercial fishing of crayfish in Lake Tahoe seems
to be something of a fluke. As related in the policy
committee analysis, in the 1960s, a Swedish scientist working
for the Swedish Fisheries Board, in cooperation with a UC
Davis professor and with full knowledge and permission of DFG
collected about 100,000 crayfish from Lake Tahoe for research
and export to Sweden, where the local crayfish population had
crashed because of fungal infection.
A rumor circulated that the removal and export of crayfish by
the Swedish scientist was part of a commercial venture. The
prevailing popular view was that Lake Tahoe's crayfish
population, which was estimated to total around 56 million,
was insufficient. In response to the belief in the need to
protect the lake's millions of crayfish, the Legislature
enacted a ban on the removal of crayfish from Lake Tahoe for
commercial purposes that remains in effect today.
Across the state line, Nevada recently authorized commercial
harvesting of crayfish from Lake Tahoe.
3)Support . This bill is supported by the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fisherman's Associations and the Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency.
AB 2504
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4)There is no opposition formally registered to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081