Freezing Fish Onboard My Second Home

June 30, 2016

Question: I do a lot of offshore fishing between Catalina and the Mexico border. After fishing and catching we spend a couple of days in Avalon or San Diego. Since my boat is my second home, is it legal to then filet my fish and freeze it on board my boat? Also, does the same rule apply to yellow fin tuna as to bluefin tuna? (Mike K.)

Answer: It doesn’t matter that your boat is your second home. The law says, “No more than one daily bag limit of each kind of fish … may be taken or possessed by any one person unless otherwise authorized” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.17).

For all of the rules on filleting fish on a vessel and a list of which fish may and may not be filleted aboard a vessel, please view section 27.65 on pages 34-35 in the 2016-2017 Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.

Regarding your questions on filleting and freezing yellow fin and bluefin tunas, CCR Title 14, section 27.65(b)(11) states, “For all species of tuna filleted on any boat or brought ashore as fillets south of a line running due west true from Point Conception, Santa Barbara County (34o27’ N. lat.) each fish must be individually bagged as follows:

A. The bag must be marked with the species’ common name.

B. The fish must be cut into six pieces with all skin attached. These pieces are the four loins, the collar removed as one piece with both pectoral fins attached and intact, and the belly fillet cut to include the vent and with both pelvic fins attached and intact.”

Tunas may be kept whole or in a manner that retains these identifying characteristics.