Acquiring Fish for a 200-gallon Aquarium

January 17, 2013

Question: I dive and want to collect various marine species to place in a 200-gallon tank at the Boys and Girls Club building in Lompoc. This would be for educational purposes for the children’s after school programs. The fish and invertebrates would be supplied by local divers and fishermen and they would not be undersized. Most species would be released after a brief amount of time. What would the permit fee be? How difficult would it be to obtain? These species would not be for sale. (Rick)

Answer: Fish and Game regulations prohibit transporting live finfish from the water where taken, including the ocean. Shellfish are generally not covered by this regulation. However, returning or placing any live fish (including shellfish) into state waters (stocking) is illegal, especially if the fish is one that has been kept in a private aquarium. This prohibition does not prohibit catch-and-release fishing or the immediate return of undersize fish to the water.

One option, as long as this is truly for educational purposes, you may apply for a scientific collecting permit to be authorized to collect specific species yourself. Go to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/research_permit/ to learn more and see if you qualify.

Otherwise, Fish and Wildlife law does provide for individuals who are licensed to collect live fish for the marine aquaria trade to take and sell certain species of marine organisms. This activity requires you to have a commercial fishing license, and if you use a boat it has to be registered. The total cost for this is approximately $1,000 per year. Information regarding the various license and fees is available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/commercial/commdescrip.html.

One more option you may find practical is to purchase fish from a pet store that has obtained fish from a licensed Marine Aquaria Collector. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) does not maintain a master list of such stores, but an online search or review of the phone book might help you find what you are looking for to place in the Boys and Girls Club tank.