Top leaders from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will participate in a discussion panel followed by a question and answer session at the Fred Hall Show underway at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach. The 71st annual show opened today and continues through Sunday.

CDFW will also have a strong presence at two additional Fred Hall Shows scheduled this month — March 10-12 at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield and March 23-26 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego.

At the Long Beach show, CDFW’s Director Charlton H. Bonham, Deputy Director of Wildlife and Fisheries Stafford Lehr, Deputy Director of Law Enforcement Chief David Bess, Chief of Wildlife Timothy (T.O.) Smith and Chief of Fisheries Kevin Shaffer will provide an overview of current natural resource and conservation topics and take questions from the public on a variety of issues. The panel discussion is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Mammoth Lakes Seminar Theater. Pete Gray, host of “Let’s Talk Hook Up,” will be the moderator.

CDFW will staff booths and answer questions from the public at all three shows. Licenses, tags and report cards will be available for purchase. The new 2017 CDFW Warden Stamp ($5) will also be available. Stamp sales help fund the CDFW’s K-9 program and support purchases of enforcement equipment.

Attendees can learn how to become a wildlife officer by speaking directly with CDFW officers, including statewide recruiting officer Lt. Chris Stoots, at the law enforcement trailer. The trailer features fish and wildlife mounts and a free laser shot game. Attendees can also learn about historic fish-stocking procedures as a restored 1925 Dodge truck used by CDFW for transporting hatchery fish will be on display, along with a modern fish-transporting truck.

Also featured will be information on CDFW’s Fishing in the City and hatchery programs, and a youth fishing pond stocked with rainbow trout provided by the CDFW Mojave River Hatchery. Those who fish for free at the pond will receive a fishing passport book and official fishing passport stamps. CDFW Fishing in the City staff will teach casting skills to young anglers at a stocked bass tank, and bass-fishing professionals will provide tips and demonstrate their fishing skills.

Admission is $17 for adults, $15 for seniors 62 years and older, or $12 for military with ID (available only at the ticket window). Children under age 15 are free.

For more information on all three shows, please visit fredhall.com.