Commercial fishing businesses and marine aquaria: landing receipts.

(1) Existing law regulating commercial fishing imposes, or authorizes the imposition of, various license, permit, and registration fees. Existing law requires specified persons to pay commercial fishing fees, referred to as landing fees, and sets forth requirements for the documentation of those landing fees in the form of a landing receipt, as prescribed. Existing law requires that a person required to be licensed as a marine aquaria receiver make a legible, true, and complete record of the landing receipts on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and deliver copies of those receipts to the department on or before the first and 16th day of each month, as provided. Existing law requires a person licensed as a commercial fish business who takes his or her own fish to make a legible record in the form of a landing receipt, as specified, at the time the fish are brought ashore, and requires that the original signed copy of the landing receipt be delivered by the licensee to the department on or before the 16th day or the last day of the month in which the fish were landed, whichever date occurs first after landing. Under existing law, a violation of the Fish and Game Code is a crime. This bill would specify that the original signed copy of the paper landing receipt made under those provisions governing landing receipts for a licensed marine aquaria and a commercial fish business who takes his or her own fish shall be delivered to the department on or before the 16th or last day of the month in which the fish were landed, whichever date occurs first after the landing, as prescribed, and would require that landing receipt records that are completed and submitted electronically be submitted to the department within 3 business days, as defined, of the landing. Because a violation of this requirement expands the definition of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.