What’s Wanton Waste of Fish?

June 11, 2015

Question: What would be considered deterioration or waste of fish? I understand that leaving them on the shoreline or in a garbage can would be waste, but would it also apply to using the whole fish as fertilizer or something like that? (Zach T.)

Answer: Anglers are expected to make reasonable efforts to retrieve and utilize any fish taken. It is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.87). Although most fish taken under the authority of sport fishing licenses are utilized for human consumption, the regulation does not prescribe how fish are to be used.

After high school, my dad moved up to the north bay to live on my grandparent's farm property (they lived in the east bay during the work week and came up north on the weekends). He got the idea to amend the garden area with fish so he and some buddies hit up one of the east bay reservoirs one early summer evening and loaded up gunnysack after gunnysack with carp. They drove up to the farm that night and then spent the following day burying them in the garden. With dreams of whopper tomatoes and massive melons, the case was closed, right ?

By the time my grandparents arrived there that Friday night after work, raccoons had dug up every carp that was buried in the garden and drug the rotting carcasses all over the property. There were fish, or pieces of fish, EVERYWHERE. A head on the back porch, a tail in the driveway, a half consumed midsection in the barn. All of which had sat in the summer sun for several days and smelled RIPE ! My dad was a dead man and as the story goes, they were finding fish bones on the property for several years after.

Moral of the story ...

Fish in with the corn.... Grind them first... Messy and smelly but, The Veggies are awesome!!!!!!! Critters will root around after the fish so fences and vigilance needed if you have lots in the area....

Not quite...

I bury fish carcasses in my gardens routinely. You just need to bury them deep enough and wet them down a little to kick start the biological processes. I also chop them up a bit with the shovel to speed the process. I find this much easier and more pleasant than dealing with a ripe-smelling trash can until trash day...

I've only had one "dig up" incident over the last decade. Girlfriend didn't dig the hole deep enough...

It's amazing to me how fast the carcasses break down...

I used to bury mine next to a few oak trees that were just starting to grow.  Anything that tried to dig them up found themselves in a hole next to it.  These trees are big & full!

I chop carp and put them in a bucket with a lid on it. After a few months, screen out the scales and solids, lid back on and mellow out another couple months. Plants seem to like and no grave robbery issues.

IMO, using fish in wantons would be considered deterioration or waste.

I actually prefer my fish in wontons ... pot sticker style ! 

IMO, using fish in wantons would be considered deterioration or waste.

So that would make it a wonton disregard of the law