Newsom signs SB 1393 Dungeness crab transit and program reforms

California commercial Dungeness boats can now cross closed grounds with crab and traps aboard. SeafoodSource reported Oct. 1, 2026, that Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1393, a bill by Senator Mike McGuire that writes Dungeness Crab Task Force recommendations into law. Transiting a closed area with crab or traps on board had been illegal.

The new rule requires a notice of intent to the Department of Fish and Wildlife 72 hours before a vessel enters the closed area. Boats may not stop while they are transiting, except for a mechanical problem or a similar emergency.

The bill also pushes several Dungeness programs that were set to expire in 2030 out to 2040, including the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program that reviews whale entanglements. It creates a Dungeness Crab Fleet that would use unspent funds to support the task force. The Assembly passed the bill unanimously on Aug. 25. Newsom signed it Sept. 27.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: SeafoodSource — California governor signs Dungeness crab fishing reforms into law (Nathan Strout, Oct. 1, 2026).