Recreational Take of Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod Emergency

The California Fish and Game Commission has issued emergency regulations to amend sections 1.91, 27.25, 27.30, 27.35, 27.40, and 28.55 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. These amendments focus on the recreational take of rockfish, cabezon, greenling, and lingcod within California state ocean waters. The primary objective is to restore access to fishing depths that have been closed since 2023 to protect quillback rockfish, utilizing updated scientific stock assessment data. Additionally, the regulations remove unnecessary depth constraints north of Point Conception to reduce the concentration of fishing efforts. Key regulatory changes include the implementation of a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish and the addition of the cryptic-species sunset rockfish to the list of federal groundfish species with associated limits. This project is classified as a Notice of Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act, as the actions are designed to preserve natural resources and ensure sustainable fishery management without significant environmental impact. The initiative is led by Executive Director Melissa Miller-Henson and was formalized in August 2025.