A piece of legislation with real consequences for Northern California’s fishing communities cleared a major hurdle this week. Senate Bill 1393, carried by Senator Mike McGuire, passed out of the California Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to the Assembly for consideration. The bill targets three specific areas of the state’s fisheries management system. First, it strengthens the steelhead trout restoration program and directs more funding toward habitat projects that support the species’ recovery. Second, it updates the regulatory framework governing the Dungeness crab fishery, one of the most economically significant commercial fisheries on the entire West Coast. Third, it establishes clear rules for vessel transit through areas where crab fishing has been closed, giving boat operators a defined path forward when navigating restricted zones.

Other fishery news:

• Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): 50,000 kokanee salmon released last year are now catchable near Lake Tahoe