Second re-adoption of amendment of Section 180.15 of Title 14, California Code of Regulations, regarding commercial coonstripe shrimp fishery, for 90 days

Coonstripe shrimp (Pandalus danae) support a commercial trap fishery centered in northern California, from the California/Oregon border to and including Monterey Bay. Coonstripe fishery gear has been implicated in four whale entanglements: one in 2017 near Crescent City, two in 2024 near San Francisco, and one in 2025 near Monterey Bay. With declining opportunities in other fisheries (i.e., salmon, groundfish), there is a growing concern with the potential for more commercial fishermen to turn to coonstripe fishing, increasing gear usage in the fishery and further increasing the risk of marine life entanglement. The fishery operates in areas, and at times of the year, with relatively high densities of whales, including species federally listed under the Endangered Species Act. Therefore, the California Fish and Game Commission proposes to readopt for a subsequent 90 days the emergency amendment of Section 180.15 to address marine life entanglement risk in the commercial coonstripe shrimp fishery.