Major Fisheries Bill Just Passed the California Senate With Bipartisan Support

June 1, 2026

A piece of legislation with real consequences for Northern California’s fishing communities cleared a major hurdle this week. Senate Bill 1393, carried by Senator Mike McGuire, passed out of the California Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

The bill targets three specific areas of the state’s fisheries management system. First, it strengthens the steelhead trout restoration program and directs more funding toward habitat projects that support the species’ recovery. Second, it updates the regulatory framework governing the Dungeness crab fishery, one of the most economically significant commercial fisheries on the entire West Coast. Third, it establishes clear rules for vessel transit through areas where crab fishing has been closed, giving boat operators a defined path forward when navigating restricted zones.

The stakes are significant for NorCal coastal towns. California’s combined commercial and recreational fishing industry supports more than 100,000 jobs statewide and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity annually. The Dungeness crab fishery alone, centered along the North Coast, produces tens of millions of dollars each year for communities from Crescent City south to the Bay Area.

Beyond the economics, the legislation touches something deeper along California’s coast. Rivers like the Klamath, Eel, and Trinity have sustained Tribal communities and coastal economies for generations, and species like Chinook salmon, steelhead, rockfish, and squid remain central to that way of life.

SB 1393 now moves to the Assembly, where it will need to clear committee before heading to the Governor’s desk.