Newsom signs bills on marine invasive species and aquaculture

SACRAMENTO—California’s legislative session might be over but bills were still being signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom during the first week of October – and two of those approved proposals making into the law books might be of interest for those who pay close attention to maritime matters. Newsome, on Oct. 2, signed one bill to address marine invasive species and a second proposal making changes to California’s aquaculture and commercial fishing operations. AB 912: Marine invasive species Assembly Bill 912 (AB 912) was introduced by Assembly member Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, in February and is officially on the books with Newsom’s signature. The bill updates the state’s Marine Invasive Species Program by establishing standards to protect waters from non-native organisms and ensuring ballast water discharge standards are “enforceable given current technology.” “When California established the [Marine Invasive Species] program, it included very strict standards for the clean up and discharge of ballast water, which cannot currently be met with available technology,” Muratsachi’s office said about AB 912. “The bill will help California protect its coastal waters from the threat of marine invasive species, while informing advances in technology to improve ballast water discharge standards. The State Lands Commission is now tasked with adopting regulations to implement...