BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 504
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 504 (Chesbro)
As Amended January 6, 2014
Majority vote
WATER, PARKS & WILDLIFE 15-0
APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Rendon, Bigelow, Allen, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, Allen, |
| |Bocanegra, Dahle, Fong, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Frazier, Beth Gaines, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, | |Gomez, Holden, Linder, |
| |Gray, Patterson, | |Pan, Quirk, |
| |Rodriguez, Yamada | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Extends the sunset on provisions of existing law
relating to commercial fishing of sea cucumbers to January 1,
2017.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Prohibits the take or possession of sea cucumbers for
commercial purposes without a valid sea cucumber permit.
Requires possession of a sea cucumber diving permit to take
sea cucumbers by diving, and in order to take sea cucumbers by
methods other than diving, requires that at least one person
aboard the boat have a valid sea cucumber trawl permit. The
fee for either a sea cucumber diving or trawling permit is
$338.75 per person.
2)Places conditions on the transfer of sea cucumber permits and
limits the number of sea cucumber permits that may be issued
each year.
3)Authorizes the Fish and Game Commission, upon recommendation
of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), to adopt
regulations governing seasons, gear restrictions, and other
measures it determines may be necessary to protect the sea
cucumber resource and assure a sustainable sea cucumber
fishery.
AB 504
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4)Provides that all of the above provisions shall become
inoperative on April 1, 2015, and are repealed as of January
1, 2016, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before
January 1, 2016, deletes or extends the dates on which it
becomes inoperative and is repealed.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, minor costs to DFW of less than $30,000 (special
fund) per year for issuing and enforcing permits likely offset
by permit fee revenue.
COMMENTS : Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates that live on
the ocean floor and are part of a category of sea organisms
known as epibenthic detrivores - organisms that feed on and
break down dead plant or animal matter, returning essential
nutrients to the ecosystem. Two species of sea cucumber are
commercial fished in California: the California sea cucumber,
Parastichopus californicus, also known as the giant red sea
cucumber; and the warty sea cucumber, Parastichopus parvimensis.
The warty sea cucumber is fished almost exclusively by divers,
while the California sea cucumber is caught primarily by
trawling. According to the DFW, most of the California sea
cucumber and warty sea cucumber harvest in California is shipped
overseas to Asian markets, where sea cucumbers are claimed to
have a variety of beneficial medicinal or health enhancing
properties, including lowering blood pressure, aiding digestion,
and curing impotency.
A specific permit is required to fish commercially for sea
cucumbers in California and the fishery is a limited entry
fishery. The number of permitees and collective harvest peaked
in 2002, when the total commercial sea cucumber harvest was
944,700 pounds. The take declined somewhat following 2002 as
diver effort switched to the sea urchin fishery, particularly
around the northern Channel Islands. The number of permitees
and total harvest has remained relatively stable in recent
years. In 2006 there were 92 sea cucumber dive permitees and
20 sea cucumber trawl permitees, who collectively harvested
476,108 pounds. In 2012 there were 83 diving permitees and 6
trawl permitees, for a total collective harvest of 470,475
pounds.
According to DFW, sea cucumbers are believed to be important
AB 504
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agents of bioturbation (stirring or mixing of sediments or
soils), influencing the structure of soft-bottom benthic
communities (communities of organisms that live in and on the
ocean floor). Presently very little is known about the
population size of sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers undergo
sporadic recruitment (juvenile survival), have a relatively high
natural mortality, and are slow growing. Species with these
life history traits tend to be particularly vulnerable to
overfishing. DFW indicates that it is unknown whether current
levels of fishing effort and harvest are sustainable, and
whether the populations are robust enough to support these
fisheries over the long term. This lack of data may point to
the value of continued monitoring and management of sea cucumber
harvests, which this bill would allow by continuing in effect
the current laws governing commercial fishing of sea cucumbers.
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096
FN: 0003024