(Sacramento, CA): Today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a resolution creating a reasonable compliance schedule for repowering commercial passenger fishing vessels.

 

 

“CARB’s new rule recognizes that California’s fleet was already reducing emissions as better engine technologies became available,” said Ken Franke, President of the Sportfishing Association of California. “However, the new compliance schedule is aggressive and we will need to be diligent in ensuring continued compliance as new technology becomes available and it is economically feasible and safe. The great news for our coastal communities is that our boats will not be pulled from service starting next year.  They will continue to provide millions of Californians affordable access to the sea while also working to reduce emissions.”

 

“An important by-product of this process has been an agreement to work as partners with CARB looking to the future. Noteworthy was the recent visit by senior CARB leadership to the harbor in San Diego. They met with boat owners and captains and later developed a compliance path that worked. The environment and public will benefit from this new relationship. We thank the CARB staff for their efforts,” said Franke.

 

The cost of new engine and technology will come at considerable cost to boat owners, requiring them to work with CARB and the State Legislature to identify funding to achieve the state’s zero-emission goals by 2045.

 

“Boat owners are accepting of the new regulations because they embrace the need to lower emissions and to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Rick Powers, president of the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association. “However, this path is still costly and the State Legislature and the Governor need to make sure that grants that fund lower emission engines are sufficiently funded coastwide. Historically, they have not been and with the passage of new regulations on every type of harbor craft vessel the demand for these programs will be unprecedented.”

 

The regulations considered by the CARB board in November 2022 were economically and structurally infeasible, leading CARB to conclude that vessels would have to be removed from service starting in 2023. When new vessels can cost over $5 million, passenger tickets would have needed to triple for one-day fishing trips, leading boat owners to conclude they would not be able to maintain current passenger loads at higher prices. Coastal communities were concerned about the impact on visitor spending and jobs. The proposed regulations invited opposition from over 23,000 anglers and ocean wildlife viewers who signed a petition asking Governor Newsom to “Save Our Boats,” a bi-partisan coalition of State Legislators and over 60 local, state and national organizations representing sportfishing, boating, retail, small business, tourism, harbors and marinas.