Amended in Senate July 8, 2013

Amended in Senate June 15, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 165

Introduced by Assembly Member Beth Gaines

January 23, 2013

An act to amend, renumber, and add Section 8491 of, and to repeal Section 8490 of, the Fish and Game Code, relating to commercial fishing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 165, as amended, Beth Gaines. Commercial fishing: crayfish.

Existing law governing the commercial fishing of crayfish prohibits the sale or purchase of crayfish taken from Lake Tahoe or the Lake Tahoe Basin.

This bill would repeal that provision.

Existing law requires the taking of crayfish to be subject to regulations as prescribed by the Fish and Game Commission.

This bill would require any allowance for the commercial taking of crayfish in Lake Tahoe or in the Lake Tahoe Basin to be for the primary purpose of population reduction and control of the signal crayfish, as prescribed.

This bill would require the commission to ensure that, with respect to the taking of crayfish for commercial purposes in Lake Tahoe or in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the commission’s regulations are consistent with the Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, as amended.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 8490 of the Fish and Game Code is
repealed.

SEC. 2.  

Section 8491 of the Fish and Game Code is amended
and renumbered to read:

8490.  

The taking of crayfish shall be subject to regulations as
prescribed by the commission.

SEC. 3.  

Section 8491 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to
read:

8491.  

(a) Any allowance for the commercial taking of crayfish
in Lake Tahoe or in the Lake Tahoe Basin shall be for the primary
purpose of population reduction and control of the signal crayfish,
an invasive species. The commercial taking of crayfish may be
allowed only to the extent that it is consistent with state goals for
management of invasive species and other environmental standards,
including an environmental analysis conducted by the begin delete California end delete
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency or another appropriate lead
agency for each proposed individual harvest operation.

(b) The commission shall ensure that, with respect to the taking
of crayfish for commercial purposes in Lake Tahoe or in the Lake
Tahoe Basin, the commission’s regulations are consistent with the
Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan,
as amended.