California Fish and Game Code

§ 8420

FGC § 8420 Effective Jan 1, 2002Div. 6 · Part 3 · Ch. 2 · Art. 9.7

Statute text

(a)The Legislature finds and declares that the fishery for market squid (Loligo opalescens) is the state’s largest fishery by volume, generating millions of dollars of income to the state annually from domestic and foreign sales. In addition to supporting an important commercial fishery, the market squid resource is important to the recreational fishery and is forage for other fish taken for commercial and recreational purposes, as well as for marine mammals, birds, and other marine life. The growing international market for squid and declining squid production from other parts of the world has resulted in an increased demand for California market squid, which, in turn, has led to newer, larger, and more efficient vessels entering the fishery and increased processing capacity.

(b)The Legislature finds that the lack of research on market squid and the lack of annual at-sea surveys to determine the status of the resource, combined with the increased demand for, and fishing effort on, market squid could result in overfishing of the resource, damaging the resource, and financially harming those persons engaged in the taking, landing, processing, and sale of market squid.

(c)The Legislature further finds that some individuals, vessels, and processing plants engaged in the market squid fishery have no other viable alternative fisheries available to them and that a decline or a loss of the market squid resource would cause economic devastation to the individuals or corporations engaged in the market squid fishery.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 318, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2002.