Cruising West Coast Do I need a fishing license?

[Cheechako]

You can see another craft long before they are nearby offshore. When you do... reel in and stow. When you think about it, do you get a fishing license from every island you pass in the Caribe? Do you stop fishing? I don't know anyone who does except in certain populated or restricted areas. Is the West coast any different? You are food fishing. Don't over anal-yze over it.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

You can see another craft long before they are nearby offshore. When you do reel in and stow. When you think about it, do you get a fishing license from every island you pass in the Caribe? Do you stop fishing? I don't know anyone who does except in certain populated or restricted areas. Is the West coast any different? You are food fishing. Don't anal-yze over it.

Dare not under analyze Kalifornia. It has more regulations and bureaucrats to enforce them than can be imagined by any sane person. Yes, is where I live, but that does not mean I am unaware of flaws.

[alansmith]

I wouldn't underestimate California's propensity to file reports on anyone they can catch. I wonder how President Trump's downsizing of Coast Guard budget will effect many enforcements of state's codes? I know when Vallejo, ca tried to break the police and fire union wage scales by filing bankrupty many fine officers transferred out. We might see some of that with Coast Guard personnel. Back to the topic. I think it will be hard to find anyone jumping on s sailor 20 miles out trying to hook up.

[wsmac]

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/.../Sport-Fishing

[jmschmidt]

Territorial waters or a territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,[1] is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships (civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it, or transit passage for straits; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below. Adjustment of these boundaries is called, in international law, maritime delimitation.

The term "territorial waters" is also sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and potentially the continental shelf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters

In this dissertation the term "state" refers to a country not state, as in the states of California or Washington. As for having fishing gear onboard is prima facie evidence that you are or have been fishing illegally, as one writer to this forum contended, that's BS. Probable cause is still require to site or arrest. Probable cause means caught in the act or observed by a credible witness. The 200-mile economic zone some here also referred to applies only foreign commercial vessels that are fishing, ocean mining, etc.

[jdazey]

Fishing regulations for the US EEZ off of WA, OR, and CA are set by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The PFMC has just concluded its April meeting where the 2017 season regulations for commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries were adopted. Here is the link for the salmon fisheries:

DRAFT Council-Adopted Salmon Management Measures for May 2017-April 30, 2018 Ocean Salmon Fisheries (Tables); Including Press Release | Pacific Fishery Management Council

These are draft regulations as they still have to be approved by the Secretary of Commerce. Given that Commerce (NOAA) tells the Council what is acceptable in the form of a "guidance letter", approval is generally a formality.

Cheers,

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Territorial waters or a territorial sea as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,[1] is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships (civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it, or transit passage for straits; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below. Adjustment of these boundaries is called, in international law, maritime delimitation.

The term "territorial waters" is also sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and potentially the continental shelf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters

In this dissertation the term "state" refers to a country not state, as in the states of California or Washington. As for having fishing gear onboard is prima facie evidence that you are or have been fishing illegally, as one writer to this forum contended, that's BS. Probable cause is still require to site or arrest. Probable cause means caught in the act or observed by a credible witness. The 200-mile economic zone some here also referred to applies only foreign commercial vessels that are fishing, ocean mining, etc.

If I recall correctly, and I may not, the USA has not signed or ratified the treaty, and while it is pretty much in alignment with it, it is meaningless as a law or guide in the US. The basic rule is inside of three miles the states and feds have concurrent jurisdiction (not meaning they necessarily enforce the laws of the other) and beyond that it is the feds all of the way. Kaliphonia (California) law and regulations are particularly bureaucratic in volume and detail completely directed to micromanagement and enforcement for funding purposes, while appearing to protect fisheries and habitat. So not forget the several sets of offshore islands may create additional boundaries for purposes of enforcement.

[Madwand]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

unless you have a carcass...if you have a carcass on board, you better have a license.

So you can't buy a fish and clean it? I don't believe this.

[donradcliffe]

I asked a California commerical fisherman last night if he ever saw the Fish and Game patrol boats outside 12 miles. His answer was never--they go where the fishing boats go.

[jmschmidt]

If you've bought better save the receipt.

[Madwand]

You don't get receipts when you buy fish on the water.

[jdazey]

Originally Posted by Madwand

So you can't buy a fish and clean it? I don't believe this.

Unless the fish is processed (smoked, cooked, salted) you'll need a permit/license.

Cheers,

[Santana2]

That's what I thought. That as long as I don't step foot on land then I am not really in that state. I left that state and not returning, just heading out to who knows where? I'm just cruising across the water going to wherever? What if I were cruising to Hawaii but heading down the coast before turning right? I think this is a debatable subject. Happy hunting/fishing.
One more thing, fishing equipment on board? Well how else will I get my fishing equipment to Calif, send it by mail, I don't think so. If I don't fish until I get to Calif (where I have a fishing license) then ????? I am amazed at the interest in this subject and the vast different opinions. But there has to be set in stone regulations. One thing I know I will go way offshore, 60 miles? I have been told that, that is the best way to go south from WA. I guess many boat movers do that. So that may be the way to go, but 60 miles? is a lot I guess that is 15 gallons min one way, humm WA fuel prices = $45+ x 2=$90+. Too many thing to think about. Ok, so I will try 30 miles offshore.

[jdazey]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I asked a California commerical fisherman last night if he ever saw the Fish and Game patrol boats outside 12 miles. His answer was never--they go where the fishing boats go.

We can speak from experience fishing WA, OR, and AK over 35 years that the USCG can and does enforce federal regulations outside of 12 miles.

Having said that, the chances of getting caught are small. In our case, the small benefit obtained from cheating was not worth the risk of losing our permits. Also, in our minds, there is something to be said for being a good citizen.

Cheers,

[Madwand]

What I've learned from this thread is that no one knows what they are talking about. Half the replies start with, "I think..." and the other half say I need a license 3, 12, 55, 200 miles offshore, or that I can be fined by deputies, staties, coast guard, U.S. Navy, or the local mayor. I can be fined by two states at the same time and if I'm fishing in Cuba, I need a Georgia fishing license. This doesn't surprise me since I called the Mississippi fish cops to find out if I need a license to fish Ship Island, 12 miles offshore, I couldn't get an answer and they wouldn't call me back. Surely you're not going to get a factual answer here...