Last winter, CalTrout engaged the fishing community to weigh in on the inland trout fishing regulation simplification process led by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW).
Since then, we have been closely involved with the process and wrote a formal comment letter to highlight our philosophies on trout management. In the letter, we advocate for a balanced approach to increasing the opportunities for anglers to get on the water while also protecting native trout species and sensitive wild trout fisheries.
Our latest article titled “California Fishing Regulations – Seeking a Balanced Approach” in The Current lays out our timeline, process overview, outcomes assessment, and shares our rationale for continuing to engage in this effort. It also outlines the opportunities for continuing public input in the process.
By careful design, any regulation changes must occur within the California Fish and Game Commission three-part process. This week will be step 1 of that process, the primary notice meeting. Step 2, the public comment meeting and staff recommendation debate provided to the Commission will take place in August, and step 3 will be a meeting to vote on putting the formal changes into effect. See meeting schedule below:
California is such a special place for anglers and can have multiple and sometimes conflicting goals and management approaches to suit those goals.
Despite these challenges, we view the trout regulation simplification as a critical opportunity to help ensure that wild fish thrive in healthy waters for a better California.
CalTrout will be participating this week and providing public comment. You can view the agenda, join the meeting, or watch the live cast by following the instructions in the link below. Check back here for more updates on the upcoming meetings.
More information
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.