California · Fish and Game Code - FGC

FGC §7704: (a) It is unlawful to cause or permit deterioration or waste of a fish taken in the waters of this state, or brought into this state, or to take, receive, or agree to receive more fish than can be use

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

It is unlawful to waste fish, take more fish than can be used without spoilage, process fish in reduction plants without permission, or possess shark fins removed from the carcass on commercial vessels without the corresponding carcass.

Read the full statutory text
(a) It is unlawful to cause or permit deterioration or waste of a fish taken in the waters of this state, or brought into this state, or to take, receive, or agree to receive more fish than can be used without deterioration, waste, or spoilage. (b) Except as permitted by this code, it is unlawful to use a fish, except fish offal, in a reduction plant or by a reduction process. (c) Except as permitted by this code or by regulation of the commission, it is unlawful to sell, purchase, deliver for a commercial purpose, or possess on a commercial fishing vessel registered pursuant to Section 7881, a shark fin or tail or part of a shark fin or tail that has been removed from the carcass. However, a thresher shark fin or tail that has been removed from the carcass and whose original shape remains unaltered may be possessed on a registered commercial fishing vessel if the carcass corresponding to the fin or tail is also possessed.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.