Article 9.1. Sea Cucumbers of California Fish And Game Code >> Division 6. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 9.1.

(a) Sea cucumbers shall not be taken, possessed aboard a boat, or landed by a person for commercial purposes except under a valid sea cucumber permit issued to that person, which has not been suspended or revoked.
  (b) When taking sea cucumbers by diving, every diver shall have a sea cucumber diving permit issued to that person, which has not been suspended or revoked. When taken by means other than diving, at least one person aboard the boat shall have a valid sea cucumber trawl permit issued to that person, which has not been suspended or revoked.

8405.1.
  (a) Applicants for a sea cucumber permit shall specify by gear type, either trawl or dive, the method in which the applicant intends to take sea cucumbers. The gear type of a sea cucumber permit, either trawl or dive, shall not be transferable.
  (b) The fee for a sea cucumber permit shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
  (c) Each permittee shall complete and submit an accurate record of all sea cucumber fishing activities on forms provided by the department.
  (d) In order to renew a sea cucumber permit for any permit year, an applicant shall have been issued a sea cucumber permit in the immediately preceding permit year. Applications for renewal of a sea cucumber permit shall be received by the department or, if mailed, postmarked, by April 30 of the permit year.

(a) A valid sea cucumber permit may be transferred by the permittee if the permittee has previously held a valid sea cucumber permit for any four permit years and landed at least 100 pounds of sea cucumbers in each of those permit years, as documented by landing receipts with the name of the permittee shown on the receipts.
  (b) A valid sea cucumber permit that has not been suspended or revoked may be transferred only to a person who has a valid commercial fishing license issued pursuant to Section 7852, that has not been suspended or revoked. A sea cucumber permit shall not be transferred to a person who has had a sea cucumber permit suspended or revoked while the suspension or revocation is in effect.
  (c) An application for transfer of a permit shall be in the form of a notarized letter and shall be submitted to the department, with reasonable proof as the department may require to establish the qualifications of the permitholder and the person the permit is to be transferred to, accompanied by payment to the department of a nonrefundable transfer fee of two hundred dollars ($200). The transfer shall take effect on the date notice of approval of the application is given to the transferee by the department. The sea cucumber permit shall be valid for the remainder of the permit year and may be renewed in subsequent years.
  (d) A sea cucumber trawl permit may be transferred to a qualified person as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) to take sea cucumbers by diving or by use of trawl nets. A sea cucumber dive permit may be transferred to a qualified person as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) only to take sea cucumbers by diving. The transferee shall specify the gear type, either trawl or dive, that the transferee intends to use to take sea cucumbers. The gear type of the sea cucumber permit, either trawl or dive, shall not be transferable.
  (e) (1) Upon the death of a sea cucumber permitholder, the deceased person's sea cucumber dive or trawl permit may be transferred by his or her heirs, assignees, or estate to a qualified person as provided in subdivision (b), upon payment of the fee described in subdivision (c), and in accordance with subdivisions (a) and (d). The estate of the decedent may transfer the permit pursuant to this chapter no later than two years from the date of death of the permitholder, as listed on the death certificate.
  (2) For purposes of a transfer under this subdivision, the heirs, assignees, or estate shall renew the permit as specified in Section 8405.1 to keep the permit valid until transferred.

(a) The commission, upon recommendation of the department or upon its own motion and in consultation with the sea cucumber fishing industry, may adopt regulations, including provisions governing seasons, gear restrictions, hours of operation, and any other measures that it determines may reasonably be necessary to protect the sea cucumber resource and to assure a sustainable sea cucumber fishery or to enhance enforcement activities.
  (b) The number of sea cucumber permits issued for the April 1, 1997, to March 31, 1998, inclusive, permit year shall constitute the maximum number of permits available for all subsequent permit years for the sea cucumber fishery. The department may establish by regulation a method, if necessary, to reissue any sea cucumber permit not renewed or transferred. The permit type of a sea cucumber permit, either trawl or dive, that is reissued shall not be transferable.
  (c) The commission may permanently revoke the sea cucumber permit of any person convicted of the unlawful taking of any California halibut while operating pursuant to a sea cucumber permit. The commission may revoke the sea cucumber permit of any person convicted of any other violation of this code or regulation adopted pursuant thereto while operating pursuant to a sea cucumber permit. Any revocation of a permit pursuant to this subdivision shall be in addition to any action the department may take pursuant to Section 12000.
  (d) Subsequent to the 1997-98 permit year, the department, using existing funds, may determine the actual costs to the department of enforcing this article. The commission, upon recommendation of the department, may adjust the fee for the issuance or transfer of a permit to an amount not to exceed three hundred fifty dollars ($350), to reflect the actual cost of enforcing this article.

This article shall become inoperative on April 1, 2020, and as of January 1, 2021, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2021, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.