Title FGC — California Fish & Game Code

No spiny lobster less than three and one-quarter inches in length measured in a straight line from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell, both points to be on the midline of the back, may be taken, possessed, purchased, or sold. Every person taking sp…

It is unlawful to pickle, can, or otherwise preserve any spiny lobster, but spiny lobsters may be preserved by freezing and may be cooked for consumption in the fresh state. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

(a) Lobsters shall not be taken for commercial purposes except under a valid lobster permit issued to that person that has not been suspended or revoked, subject to regulations adopted by the commission. (b) Every person who takes, assists in taking, possesses, or transports lobs…

When a complaint has been filed in a court of competent jurisdiction charging a holder of a commercial lobster permit with a violation of Section 8251 or 8252, and no disposition of the complaint has occurred within 90 days after it has been filed in the court, the department may…

The permit number of the person owning or in command of any boat used to take lobster shall be visibly displayed on both sides of the boat in 10-inch black numbers, one inch wide, on a white background.

Lobster traps may be used to take spiny lobster in Districts 18, 19, 20A, and those portions of District 20 lying on the southerly side of Santa Catalina Island between Southeast Rock and China Point.

Whenever it is necessary to prevent overutilization or to ensure efficient and economic operation of the fishery, the commission may limit the number of permits that may be issued pursuant to this article. As it determines appropriate to protect the resource, the commission may l…

Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the definitions in this section govern the construction of this article. (a) “Dungeness crab” or “market crab” means crab of the species Cancer magister. (b) “Reconstruction” means major work on the hull of a vessel to make that…

Except as provided in Section 8276.2 or 8277: (a) Dungeness crab may be taken for commercial purposes in Districts 6, 7, 8, and 9 only between December 1 and July 15. (b) Dungeness crab may be taken for commercial purposes in all other districts only between November 15 and June …

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group” means the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group established by the department, in partnership with the Ocean Protection Council and the Nat…

(a) The director may order a delay in the opening of the Dungeness crab fishery after December 1 in Districts 6, 7, 8, and 9 in any year. The delay in the opening shall not be later than January 15 of any year. (b) (1) On or about November 1 of each year, the director may authori…

(a) If there is any delay ordered by the director pursuant to Section 8276.2 in the opening of the Dungeness crab fishery in Districts 6, 7, 8, and 9, a vessel shall not take or land crab within Districts 6, 7, 8, and 9 during any closure. (b) If there is any delay in the opening…

(a) The Ocean Protection Council shall make a grant, upon appropriation of funding by the Legislature, for the development and administration of a Dungeness crab task force. The membership of the Dungeness crab task force shall be comprised of all of the following: (1) Two nonvot…

(a) In consultation with the Dungeness crab task force, or its appointed representatives, the director shall adopt a program, by March 31, 2013, for Dungeness crab trap limits for all California permits. Unless the director finds that there is consensus in the Dungeness crab indu…

(a) The director may extend the Dungeness crab season in any district or part thereof. (b) Before extending the Dungeness crab season, the director shall consider written findings of the department regarding the state of the Dungeness crab resource in the district, or part thereo…

(a) Except as otherwise provided, no Dungeness crab less than six and one-quarter (61/4) inches in breadth, and no female Dungeness crab, may be taken, possessed, bought, or sold, except that not more than 1 percent in number of any load or lot of Dungeness crabs may be less than…

It is unlawful to sell any Dungeness crab taken in any of the following waters: (a) The Eel River and its tributaries between the Pacific Ocean and the west line of Sec. 35, T. 3 N., R. 1 W., H. B. & M. (b) The Pacific Ocean within a radius of one mile from the mouth of the Eel R…

(a) A person shall not take, possess onboard, or land Dungeness crab for commercial purposes from a vessel in ocean waters for 30 days after the opening of those waters for the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season, if both of the following events have occurred: (1) The openin…

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the Dungeness crab fishery is important to the state because it provides a valuable food product, employment for those persons engaged in the fishery, and economic benefits to the coastal communities of the state. (b) The Legislature fu…

(a) A person shall not use a vessel to take, possess, or land Dungeness crab for commercial purposes using Dungeness crab traps authorized pursuant to Section 9011, unless the owner of that vessel has a Dungeness crab vessel permit for that vessel that has not been suspended or r…

(a) The owner of a Dungeness crab vessel, for purposes of this section, may include a person with a bona fide contract for the purchase of a vessel who otherwise meets all other qualifications for a Dungeness crab vessel permit. If a contract is found to be fraudulent or written …

(a) For purposes of this section, the term “length overall” means the horizontal distance between the forward-most and after-most points on the hull of a vessel. The length overall of a vessel does not include attachments fixed to the stern and bow. (b) Notwithstanding Article 9 …

(a) The commission may revoke the commercial fishing license issued pursuant to Section 7852 of any person owning a fishing vessel engaging in the taking or landing of Dungeness crab by traps for which that person has not obtained a Dungeness crab vessel permit, and the commissio…

(a) The department shall charge a fee for each Dungeness crab vessel permit of two hundred dollars ($200) for a resident of California and four hundred dollars ($400) for a nonresident of California, for the reasonable regulatory costs of the department. (b) The department shall …

Notwithstanding Section 8280.1, the owner of a vessel, who has a Dungeness crab vessel permit for that vessel that has not been suspended or revoked, may contract for the use of a vessel that is registered pursuant to Section 7881 and for which a Dungeness crab vessel permit has …

Dungeness crab vessel permits are valid only in state waters and in the Pacific Ocean in federal waters south of the border with Oregon.

Crab meat and frozen crab taken during the open season may be possessed, transported, and sold at any time, subject to the regulations of the commission. The cost of inspection and marking, under the regulations of the commission, shall be paid by the owner or seller of the crab …

(a) Subject to this article and Article 1 (commencing with Section 9000) of Chapter 4, and subject to the regulation of the commission authorized under subdivision (c), rock crab may be taken in traps in any waters of the state at any time, except in Districts 9, 19A, 19B, and 21…

Crab traps may be set and baited 64 hours before the opening date of the Dungeness crab season. Crab traps may be set and baited in advance of that opening date if no other attempt is made to take or possess Dungeness crab.

(a) Subject to this article and Article 1 (commencing with Section 9000) of Chapter 4, crab traps, as described in Section 9011, may be used to take Dungeness crab for commercial purposes. Any fish may be taken incidentally in crab traps being used to take Dungeness crab. (b) Exc…

(a) The director may open waters that are otherwise restricted for the commercial take of Dungeness crab or rock crab pursuant to Section 5523 during a time period when the State Department of Public Health authorizes the manufacture, sale, delivery, holding, or offering for sale…

Except as otherwise provided in this article, in Districts 8, 9, and 17, clams may be taken between September 1st and April 30th, and in other districts clams may be taken at any time. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

All of the species of clams commonly known as littlenecks, chiones and hard-shell cockles, including thin-shelled littleneck, common littleneck, Japanese littleneck, rough-sided littleneck, smooth chione, wavy chione, and banded chione, may be taken at any time, except in the wat…

In Districts 11/2, 8, and 9 the bag limit on Washington clams and gapers, sometimes known as bigneck clams, is 25 in the aggregate. In all other districts the bag limit is 10 Washington clams and 10 gapers. Not more than the prescribed daily bag limit may be possessed by any pers…

No northern razor clams (Siliqua patula) may be sold; but if taken outside the State and brought within the State, they may be possessed, transported, and sold without restriction. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

Mussels (Mytilus californianus) may be taken only in accordance with such regulations as the commission may prescribe.

It is unlawful for any person to sell or purchase any rock scallops (Hinnites multirugosus) or scallops (Pecten circularis), except that scallops cultivated pursuant to Division 12 (commencing with Section 15000) which may be sold or purchased subject to regulations of the commis…

It is unlawful for any person to sell or purchase any pismo clams taken in this State. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

(a) Any striped bass, salmon, or sturgeon, if alive, that is taken in any type of net in any district shall be immediately liberated from the net by the fishermen and immediately returned to the water without further harm. (b) Any striped bass, salmon, or sturgeon that is taken i…

Striped bass and salmon may be sold or offered for sale only under the following conditions: (a) If the striped bass is taken or possessed by, and is the cultured progeny of, an aquaculturist who is registered under Section 15101, that striped bass may be sold or purchased subjec…

Kelp bass, sand bass, or spotted bass, all of the genus Paralabrax, shall not be sold or purchased, or possessed in any place where fish are purchased, possessed for sale, or sold, or where food is offered or processed for sale, or in any truck, vessel, or other conveyance operat…

No yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, or California corbina may be sold or purchased, or possessed in any place where fish are purchased, possessed for sale, or sold, or where food is offered for sale, or in any truck or other conveyance operated by or for a place so selling or …

Yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna may be taken at any time. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

No bluefin tuna weighing less than 71/2 pounds may be sold, purchased, or processed.

Albacore may be taken at any time. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

(a) Pacific bonito less than 24 inches fork length or five pounds in weight shall not be taken or possessed on any vessel at any time for any commercial purpose, except as follows: (1) A load of bonito taken on a vessel by the use of round haul nets may contain 18 percent or less…

Pacific bonito shall be measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the center of the fork of the tail fin.

Skipjack may be taken at any time. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

(a) Giant seabass (Stereolepis gigas) may not be taken for any purpose, except that not more than one fish per vessel may be possessed or sold if taken incidentally in commercial fishing operations by gill or trammel net. Any fish so taken shall not be transferred to any other ve…

It is unlawful to take grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) except between June 1st and March 31st. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)