Can I Fish for Free to Feed My Family?

January 7, 2010

Question: If I am in need of food for myself and family, is it a crime to catch fish for subsistence from the ocean without a license? I understand that lakes in inland waters are stocked, policed and maintained and that these services have to be paid for via taxes, license and fines. That’s understandable, but what about fishing from the ocean? Should it not be a God-given right to fish the oceans and seas of this planet without permission from the powers that be? Please shed some light on this issue for me if you can. (Doug P.)

Answer: In California you can legally fish without a fishing license from public ocean piers and from the most seaward jetty of the harbor. Finfish may be caught by hook and line and crabs and lobsters by hoop nets from public piers and jetties, depending upon the area of the state where you are fishing. All regulations must still be followed, but you can fish without a fishing license in these locations only. There are also two designated free fishing days per year when people may fish in ocean and inland waters without a license.

Except for the opportunities mentioned above, subsistence fishing or any type of recreational fishing without a fishing license in ocean or freshwater is not allowed. California’s living marine resources are a public trust, which means they belong to all of the people of the state. However, it is necessary to manage these resources in such a way that they will be sustainable, both from an ecological point of view and in allowing recreational anglers to pursue them for enjoyment and to harvest them for food.

The California Legislature has given the Fish and Game Commission the authority to regulate all of our recreational fisheries, and the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is the entity that manages these fisheries and enforces their regulations. Some regulations are very strict for species which have previously been overfished and are now recovering. Your right to fish is a privilege which must be considered in the context of a state with 37 million people.

Here’s an option for you if you can’t buy a license but want to catch lots of ocean fish for your family. Focus on the many species listed under section 27.60(b) on page 37 of the Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.

These species have abundant stocks and no bag limits, and a number of them are commonly taken from public piers.

yes, but no...   Here’s an option for you if you can’t buy a license but want to catch lots of ocean fish for your family. Focus on the many species listed under section 27.60(b) on page 37 of the Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.These species have abundant stocks and no bag limits, and a number of them are commonly taken from public piers.

there is a solution... Good answer. If you NEED it for food... Do this...