CA SB609

Landing receipts, reports, and records of fishing activities filed with the Department of Fish and Wildlife are designated as confidential and not public records, with catch data specifically protected from disclosure

Certain identifying information remains public: fish business identification numbers, fish business names, commercial fishing license numbers, commercial fisher names, vessel registration identification numbers, and vessel names

Confidential fishing data may only be released to federal fishery management agencies for enforcement purposes, pursuant to court orders, or to research institutions with confidentiality agreements

Persons with marine aquaria receiver's licenses are removed from the requirement to report fish sales, deliveries, transfers, and landings using electronic fish tickets

Legislative findings justify the confidentiality restrictions as necessary to protect potentially sensitive or proprietary data of commercial fishers, vessel owners, and fish businesses