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California Fish and Game bans recreational red abalone fishing until 2021


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The California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) has voted to extend the closure of the recreational red abalone fishing season until April 1, 2021.

The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) says starvation conditions caused the closure. The fishery was closed in April of 2018 in hopes of the population rebounding, but officials say that hasn't happened.

The commercial red abalone fishery closed in 1997.

The closure upholds the policies of the "Abalone Recovery and Management Plan," which was adopted by the commission in December of 2005. Over the past several years, the commission has taken several actions to reduce the amount of abalone anglers take and shorten the season to protect the animals from poor environmental conditions.

In 2018, the CFGC directed the CDFW to work with stakeholders to deliver a new fishery management plan that included guidance on navigating these unprecedented conditions. Officials hoped the plan may allow the reopening of some fishing opportunity for the 2019 season, but conditions have not improved enough.

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