Senator McGuire’s Fisheries Omnibus Advances Through Senate

SACRAMENTO—Yesterday, Senator McGuire’s critical fisheries legislation, SB 1393, passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support. 

California’s commercial fishing fleet and recreational fishermen support more than 100,000 jobs and drive hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity each year. The Dungeness crab fishery alone, centered on California’s North Coast, generates tens of millions of dollars annually and remains one of the most vital commercial fisheries on the West Coast.

From the Klamath, Eel, and Trinity rivers to coastal communities up and down the state, fishing is deeply woven into California’s economy, culture, and way of life. Native species like rockfish, squid, crab, spiny lobster, steelhead trout, and Chinook salmon support jobs, sustain Tribal and coastal communities, and power local economies. 

SB 1393 advances three key reforms: the legislation will strengthen the steelhead trout fishing restoration program and invest more funding into critical fishery habitat restoration projects. It will also modernize the Dungeness crab fishery management regulations, and establish clear rules for vessel transit through closed-crab fishing areas (allowing for vessel transit even if an area of the coast is closed).

“The commercial fishing fleet is the lifeblood of rural coastal communities here on the North Coast,” said Senator McGuire. “From Crescent City to Half Moon Bay, we depend on the success and sustainability of California’s commercial and recreational fishing fleet. SB 1393 advances the modern management needed to protect our natural resources, strengthen our fisheries, and keep our coastal and rural economies strong for years to come.”

“SB 1393 has been long thought out by Fleet representatives and Senator McGuire. This legislation gives California’s commercial fishermen the regulatory certainty they need to plan their seasons and protect their livelihoods,” said George Bradshaw, President of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association. “Fishermen in every port of the Golden State are grateful to Senator McGuire for his continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of the men and women who make their living from California’s multi-million-dollar fishing industry.”

SB 1393 now heads to the Assembly.

Throughout his career, Senator McGuire has been a steadfast champion for California’s commercial fishing fleet. He has successfully advanced laws that have enhanced the livelihoods of fishermen and local coastal economies.

As Chair of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, Senator McGuire hosts the annual Zeke Grader Fisheries Forum, which brings together leaders from California’s commercial fishing industry, environmental groups, and state agencies to discuss the management of salmon, Dungeness crab, and other vital fisheries.

###

Mike McGuire is President pro Tempore Emeritus of the California Senate. He represents the North Coast of California, which stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, including Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. Website of Senator McGuire: https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/