Bill Text: CA AB1797 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: State crustacean.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 667, Statutes of 2024. [AB1797 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1797-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  February 08, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1797

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Introduced by Assembly Member Wood
(Principal coauthor: Senator McGuire)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis and Pellerin)

January 04, 2024

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An act to add Section 425.15 to the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1797, as amended, Wood. State crustacean.

Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the golden poppy as the official state flower, the California redwood as the official state tree, and the California gray whale as the official state marine mammal.

This bill would establish the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) as the official state crustacean. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 (a) In California, the most abundant crab is the Metacarcinus magister, or Dungeness crab.

(b) Metacarcinus magister, known as Dungeness crab, is an iconic California coast specialty and has long supported fishing ports up and down northern and central California. Recreational crab fishing also bolsters local hospitality businesses, bringing patrons to incredible coastal restaurants and inns.

(c) Dungeness crab are an essential part of California’s ecosystem and economy.

(d) While Dungeness crab inhabit a wide variety of ocean floor habitats, they generally prefer sandy or soft-bottom areas and are commonly found at depths ranging from the intertidal to 300 feet.

(e) Dungeness crab are opportunistic predators and scavengers, feeding on bivalves, fish, shrimp, isopods, and other organisms, which contributes to a healthy ecosystem.

(f) Both commercial and recreational crab fisheries exist in California. The fisheries have slightly different seasons within the two distinct management areas: northern and central, which are divided at the Sonoma-Mendocino County line.

(g)Crab fishing efforts on the northern California coast are concentrated near Crescent City, Eureka, and north of Fort Bragg. In the central coast region, fishing occurs near Morro Bay, Monterey Bay, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, and Bodega Bay.

(h)

(g) California Dungeness crab are sold both domestically and exported. Typically, crabs are cooked and sold whole in the shell, or the cooked meat is picked prior to sale and sold fresh or frozen.

(i)

(h) Naming Metacarcinus magister as the official state crustacean of California will promote appreciation, study, and education of Dungeness crab in this state, as both an environmental and economic commodity.

SEC. 2.

 Section 425.15 is added to the Government Code, to read:

425.15.

 The Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is the official state crustacean.