Sacramento, CA – Senator Mike McGuire, chairman of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, will convene a special hearing on April 28 at the State Capitol to receive updates on the Dungeness crab season, disaster declaration and lessons learned from the historic crab season closure this year.

“This year’s crab season delay was devastating for California’s fisheries and there are many lessons to be learned from the historic closures. We are also taking a close look at ocean conditions, how they are changing, and the ongoing impacts, which are even greater in coastal towns that depend on a healthy crab harvest for their livelihood,” Senator McGuire said. “This hearing will provide an important opportunity to hear first-hand from fisheries and ocean experts about what worked, what we can improve upon and what we can do differently.”

The hearing – California’s Crab Season and Domoic Acid: Lessons Learned – will feature testimony from fisheries and ocean experts who will discuss both the historic crab season delay and what we can improve and do differently in the future. Scientists will also provide testimony on current ocean conditions, the West Coast Algae Bloom and Domoic Acid, now and into the future.

The hearing will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 28 at the State Capitol in Room 112. The hearing will be streamed live at www.senate.ca.gov. The public is welcome to attend.

The list of speakers includes (partial list):

• Charlton Bonham - Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife 
• Eric Sklar - President, California Fish and Game Commission
• Dr. William Sydeman - Senior Scientist, Farallon Institute for Advanced Ecosystem Research
• Dr. Raphael Kudela - Lynn Professor of Ocean Health, University of California Santa Cruz
• Deborah Halberstadt - OPC Executive Director/Deputy Secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy, California Natural Resources Agency
• Patrick Kennelly - Chief, Food Safety Section, California Department of Public Health
• Dr. Craig Shuman - Marine Region Manager, California Department of Fish and Wildlife   
• Rachelle Fisher - Administrative Team, California Dungeness Crab Task Force
• Tim Sloane – Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
• Mike Lucas - President, North Coast Fisheries, Inc.
• Dr. Jeff Boehm - Executive Director, The Marine Mammal Center

For more information about the Fisheries Forum visit the Committee web site at: http://fisheries.legislature.ca.gov/.

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