California Code of Regulations
Title 14 - Natural Resources
Division 1 - Fish and Game Commission-Department of Fish and Game
Subdivision 1 - Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles
Chapter 4 - Ocean Fishing
Article 1 - Ocean and San Francisco Bay District
Invertebrates
Section 29.16 - Abalone Report Card and Tagging Requirements (FG 2915, See Section 701)

Universal Citation: 14 CA Code of Regs 29.16

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) Abalone Report Card Required. All individuals including divers must have an Abalone Report Card in their immediate possession while fishing for or taking red abalone. Individuals must complete and return the card pursuant to regulations in this Section and in Section 1.74.

(b) Tagging Requirements. An Abalone Report Card includes detachable tags that shall be used to tag any abalone that is taken and retained in the sport fishery. Any red abalone possessed by any person shall be tagged.

(1) Cardholders shall tag any red abalone either immediately upon exiting the water or immediately upon boarding a vessel, whichever occurs first. For the purposes of this section a vessel is defined as any watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water (reference Section 9840(a) CVC). Cardholders shall not wait to return to their vehicle, beach site or other location to tag any abalone in possession.

EXCEPTION: Cardholders who dive from a non-motorized vessel such as a kayak that is in the water may wait until immediately after disembarking from the non-motorized vessel to tag and record any abalone in possession, but shall not transfer any abalone from his or her immediate possession unless they are first tagged and recorded on the report card.

(2) The cardholder shall fill in the month, day, time of catch, and fishing location on the abalone tag, remove and completely detach the tag from the card, and affix it to the shell of the abalone.

(3) The tag shall be securely fastened to the shell of the abalone. To affix the tag, a "zip tie", string, line or other suitable material shall be passed through a siphon hole on the abalone shell and through the tag at the location specified on the abalone tag.

(4) Tags shall be used in sequential order, and shall not be removed from the report card until immediately prior to affixing to an abalone. Any tags detached from the report card and not affixed to an abalone shall be considered used and therefore invalid.

(5) No person shall possess any used or otherwise invalid abalone tags not attached to an abalone shell.

(c) Reporting Requirements. Immediately upon tagging all abalone in possession, the cardholder shall record the month, day, time of catch, and fishing location in the appropriate spaces on the numbered line on the Abalone Report Card which corresponds to the number on the tag attached to the abalone.

(d) Records of Prior Activity. All tags must be accounted for at all times by entry of a record on the Abalone Report Card corresponding to all tags that are not in possession. Any tag that was lost or destroyed shall be recorded as such on the corresponding line on the Abalone Report Card. Any tag that was inadvertently removed and is still in possession shall be recorded as void on both the tag and the corresponding line on the Abalone Report Card.

(e) Abalone tags must be left affixed to the shell, including while stored at a residence or non-transient location, until the abalone is processed for immediate consumption.

(f) The annual fee for the Abalone Report Card is specified in Section 7149.8 of the Fish and Game Code.

1. New section filed 3-14-2008; operative 4-1-2008 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2008, No. 11).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending NOTE filed 8-8-2019 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2019, No. 32).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 200, 205 and 265, Fish and Game Code. Reference: Sections 200, 205 and 265, Fish and Game Code.

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