Article 10. Far Offshore Fishing of California Fish And Game Code >> Division 6. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 10.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that dramatic changes have very recently taken place in the methods and geographic areas of effort by California-based commercial fishermen.
  (b) The Legislature further finds and declares that because the conditions which now exist could not be seen at the time of their inception, some existing regulations are now unreasonably restrictive. In some cases, existing statutes and regulations prohibit California fishermen from participating in or landing in California the primary product, or the incidental product, of their effort in the newly developed far offshore fisheries. This situation is detrimental to the interests of the fishermen, the fish processors, and the consumers of California.

"Far offshore fishery" means a fishery that lies outside the United States 200-mile exclusive economic zone, as defined by paragraph (6) of Section 1802 of Title 16 of the United States Code.

Notwithstanding any other section of this code, fish taken in a far offshore fishery, which may be lawfully imported, may be landed in this state by persons operating a commercial fishing vessel registered pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 7880) who took the fish in the far offshore fishery.

(a) Prior to departure from any port in the United States for the purpose of taking fish in the far offshore fishery, the operator of any vessel landing fish in California that will be taken in the far offshore fishery shall file a declaration with the department on forms prescribed by the department.
  (b) The declaration shall be valid when signed by the vessel operator and completed with information prescribed by the department.
  (c) Upon completion of the trip and within 12 hours of arrival at a port in this state, the operator of the vessel shall complete and submit the return portion of the declaration to the department.
  (d) This section does not apply to any commercial fisherman using or possessing only troll lines, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 9025.5, or gear for angling, as defined in Section 15, for the taking or possession of albacore only.

It is unlawful for the operator of any vessel operating under authority of this article to fish in, or land fish from, any waters within the United States 200-mile exclusive economic zone during any trip for which the operator filed a declaration with the department to fish in the far offshore fishery.