Fish and Game Commission

January 13, 2022

Question: What’s the difference between CDFW and the California Fish and Game Commission?

Answer: Essentially, CDFW implements and enforces the Fish and Game Code, along with regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission. CDFW also provides biological data and expertise to inform the Commission’s decision-making process.

The Commission was one of the first wildlife conservation agencies in the U.S. Established by California’s State Constitution, it is composed of five Commissioners appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

The Commission and CDFW are separate legal entities with a wide variety of authorities, some general in nature and some very specific. Primary functions of the Commission are adopting policies and regulations that guide its work and the work of CDFW, listing and delisting threatened or endangered species, letting leases for shellfish cultivation and kelp harvest, and establishing seasons, bag limits, and methods of take for hunting and fishing. CDFW’s law enforcement division enforces regulations adopted by the Commission, but CDFW also administers other programs, such as the streambed alteration program, that are unrelated to the Commission.

Commission meetings are held bimonthly, with both video and audio coverage live-streamed and archived. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission and its committees are conducting meetings by webinar and teleconference to avoid public gatherings and protect public health. Visit the Commission home page(opens in new tab) on the day of the meeting to watch or listen live.