Title FGC — California Fish & Game Code

(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.)

Barracuda and yellowtail not less than 28 inches in length may be taken with hook and line at any time.

It is unlawful to take, possess, sell, or purchase any white sea bass less than 28 inches in length, measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the end of the longer lobe of the tail.

No barracuda or yellowtail less than 28 inches in length may be sold or purchased, except that not more than five barracuda and five yellowtail per day may be possessed by the holder of a commercial fishing license for noncommercial use if taken incidentally in commercial fishing…

No person holding a commercial fishing license while on any barge or boat which for hire carries any sport fisherman may take or have in his possession in any one day more than the aggregate number of the following kinds of fish permitted in the case of sport fishing: bluefin tun…

Barracuda and yellowtail shall be measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the end of the longer lobe of the tail.

From May 1st to August 31st, inclusive, all of the following are unlawful: (a) For any one person to have in his or her possession on any boat, barge, or other vessel more than 500 pounds of yellowtail. (b) For any two or more persons to have in their possession on any boat, barg…

(a) No female angel shark measuring less than 42 inches in total length or 151/4 inches in alternate length and no male angel shark measuring less than 40 inches in total length or 141/2 inches in alternate length may be possessed, sold, or purchased, except that 10 percent of th…

(a) A person shall not take, possess, sell, or purchase for commercial purposes any leopard shark less than 36 inches in total length. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), leopard sharks less than 36 inches in total length possessed by a person for aquarium display on or before J…

(a) Herring eggs may only be taken for commercial purposes under a revocable, nontransferable permit subject to such regulations as the commission shall prescribe. In addition to the license fees provided for in this code, every person taking herring eggs under this section shall…

California halibut (Paralichthys californicus) may be taken at any time. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

No California halibut may be taken, possessed, or sold that measures less than 22 inches in total length. Total length means the shortest distance between the tip of the jaw or snout, whichever extends farthest while the mouth is closed, and the tip of the longest lobe of the tai…

(a) Except where subdivision (b) has been complied with, marlin meat, whether fresh, smoked, canned, or preserved by any means, shall not be bought or sold, or possessed or transported for the purpose of sale. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section,…

Swordfish shall not be taken, possessed aboard a boat, or landed by a person for commercial purposes except under a valid swordfish permit. At least one person aboard the boat shall have a swordfish permit issued to that person that has not been revoked or suspended, subject to r…

The fee for the permit issued pursuant to Section 8394 is three hundred thirty dollars ($330). This permit fee does not apply to the holder of a valid drift gill net shark and swordfish permit required under Article 16 (commencing with Section 8561) or to any person who participa…

(a) Upon the recommendation of the director regarding management measures for surfperch of the family Embiotocidae, the commission may adopt regulations to manage the commercial surfperch resource and fisheries consistent with Part 1.7 (commencing with Section 7050), including, b…

(a) It is unlawful to take fish for commercial purposes in that portion of Tomales Bay in District 10 between a line drawn from the most northern tip of Tomales Point northeast, 47° magnetic, to the opposite shore in the vicinity of Dillon Beach, and a line drawn west from the we…

North of Point Conception, squid may be taken the year around; however, the commission may adopt regulations specifying the days of the week and the times of the day when squid may be taken.

(a) In District 10, it is unlawful to engage in the following activities: (1) Attract squid by a light displayed from any vessel, except a vessel deploying nets for the take, possession, and landing of squid or from the seine skiff of the vessel deploying nets for the take, posse…

(a) California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis), mudsuckers (Gillichthys mirabilis), and yellowfin gobies (Acanthogobius flavimanus) may only be taken for commercial purposes with baitfish traps in the tidewaters of Districts 31/2, 4, 41/8, 43/4, 16, 17, and 21, in the tidewaters…

(a) To the extent not in conflict with Section 8607, marine species of fin fish that are classified as groundfish may be taken under the regulations of the commission. (b) Marine species of fin fish, including, but not limited to, fin fish that are classified as groundfish, may b…