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Procedures and Resources for Commercial Landings

Updates

  • New to commercial fishing? All fish caught under the authority of a commercial fishing license, even for personal use, must be landed and documented on an electronic fish ticket and submitted to E-Tix. Commercial fishermen must locate a licensed fish business willing to land their catch or they must possess a Fisherman's Retail License to report their commercial fish landings through the E-Tix portal. You cannot purchase a commercial fishing license or register a commercial fishing vessel for the first time without contacting LRBCOMM@wildlife.ca.gov or (916) 928-5822 to establish your commercial fishing customer account.
  • Effective July 1, 2019, electronic reporting of landing data became mandatory for fish businesses with a multifunction license, fishermen's retail license or the fish receiver's license who are reporting the sale or delivery of commercial fish landings.
  • Effective 2nd Quarter of 2020: CDFW is providing fish businesses with a quarterly report of landing fees due for fish landed during the preceding quarter to help fish businesses reconcile and submit payment within 30 days after the close of each quarter. Landing fees are not a new requirement of fish businesses (Fish and Game Code Section 8040 et seq. and Food and Agriculture Code Section 76900 et seq.).

In the first 12 months of mandatory electronic reporting, 566 fish businesses submitted 48,966 electronic fish tickets representing 96,579 rows of catch data. Electronic reporting provides the landings information to our scientific staff in near real-time which allows for timely data review and analysis. The commercial landings data are used by fishery managers to make decisions for effective management of California fisheries.

screenshot of E-Tix login screen - opens link in new tab

The electronic fish ticket is a web-based form called E-Tix(opens in new tab), managed by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). PSMFC provides a Quick Start Guide for California fish businesses (PDF)(opens in new tab) to assist those transitioning to electronic reporting using E-Tix, as well as a link to request an E-Tix account.

If you have any questions, or require additional information, email ElectronicFishTicket@wildlife.ca.gov or phone the CDFW Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit at (562) 342-7130.

Commercial Fishing Vessel

Help Resources

Need Help?

Contact CDFW at (562) 342-7130 or ElectronicFishTicket@wildlife.ca.gov

If you have questions specifically about using E-Tix, please use the Help resources available on the E-Tix website(opens in new tab).

For questions regarding the process of obtaining commercial fishing licenses, permits, vessel registration, or becoming a licensed fish business, contact the License and Revenue Branch at LRBCOMM@wildlife.ca.gov or by phone at (916) 928-5822.