AB 1056: Understanding the Proposed Changes to California Gill Net Fishing Permits

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Local Fish

📍What Is AB 1056?

Assembly Bill 1056 (introduced by Assembly member Steve Bennett in 2025) proposes significant updates to California’s commercial fishing regulations, specifically targeting gill net and trammel net permits. These types of gear are commonly used in the California halibut and white seabass fisheries.

While still under legislative review, AB 1056 aims to change how these permits are renewed, transferred, and appealed, impacting commercial fishermen who rely on these methods.

What Does AB 1056 Propose?

If passed, the law would:

  • Limit Permit Renewals:
    Permit holders must have landed at least 1,000 pounds of California halibut or white seabass between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024 in order to qualify for permit renewal.
  • Restrict Permit Transfers:
    The bill limits the transferability of gill net and trammel net permits to others and allows the California Fish and Game Commission to eliminate permit transfers altogether through future regulation.
  • Eliminate the Appeal Process:
    Under current law, permit holders who don’t meet renewal requirements (due to illness, injury, vessel loss, or other hardship) can appeal to the Fish and Game Commission. AB 1056 would remove this right to appeal.

What This Means for Fishermen

If enacted, AB 1056 would:

  • Reduce the number of active gill net permit holders by tightening renewal qualifications.
  • Prevent fishermen from passing their permits on to the next generation or selling them to other operators.
  • Remove safety nets (like appeals) for fishermen facing hardships beyond their control.

These changes would primarily affect those who rely on gill nets to target halibut and white seabass, including small- and medium-scale operations that may have temporarily paused fishing during the covered timeframe due to COVID, economic downturns, family obligations, or weather-related challenges.

What This Means for the Community

Fishing communities may experience:

  • A decrease in locally landed halibut and seabass, which could lead to increased reliance on imports.
  • Less intergenerational transfer of fishing knowledge and business opportunities, especially in legacy families.
  • A shift in seafood supply chains, especially for restaurants and consumers who value locally caught fish.

Whether you’re a chef, seafood buyer, policy advocate, or consumer, it’s important to stay informed about how regulatory changes affect access to locally and sustainably sourced seafood in California.

Learn More & Stay Updated

To follow the progress of AB 1056 and access the full bill language, visit the California Legislative Information site.

We’ll continue to provide updates here at GetLocalFish.com as new information becomes available.