A Quick Explainer on California Commercial Fishing Licenses

Do you spend most of your weekends out on the water? Do you have a real passion for fishing that you are looking to turn into a career? If it is time to leave the dreariness of office life behind and start working outside, in the sun, with your bare hands, commercial fishing may just be the line of work for you. Of course, while you do get to convert your passion into profits, you should understand that commercial fishing is not an easy job, by any means. For starters, you will be handling heavy, sharp, and dangerous equipment, much of which is a significant step up from your standard rod and reel set-up. You will also be exposed to the elements, which at times can mean choppy seas and harsh weather. Lastly, you need to be willing to spend hours, days, or even weeks at a time out at sea, far away from your family and the comforts of home. The trade-off for such sacrifices, though, can be a lucrative career, as commercial fishing is a multi-trillion-dollar global business. Before you leave to dock to go cast your lines, however, you may want to learn a bit about California commercial fishing licenses.

One aspect of commercial fishing that many find appealing is its overall simplicity. Simply casting a line, reeling in a fish, and selling it in the marketplace is a trade that is hundreds of years old. While technology has certainly advanced, and there are many large-scale, industrial fishing operations out there today, anywhere there is a large body of water, you can likely cast a line and catch something worth selling. When it comes to areas in the United States where you can fish commercially, it is certainly difficult to top California. As one of the largest states in the U.S., California is home to more than 1,000 miles of the Pacific coastline. The Golden State also boasts one of the largest economies in the world, and a major contributor to that is its local commercial fishing industry. In simple terms, if you are looking to start a commercial or industrial fishing business, California can be an ideal location. In order to get your business up and running, though, you will need the proper California commercial fishing licenses–read on to learn more.

Getting California Commercial Fishing Licenses at the State Level

So, you have gone through the trouble of drawing up a business plan, and you are ready to get your commercial fishing business started. You have geared up your boat, and hired a seasoned crew to help. You may have even identified a number of buyers. All that stands between you and the open seas at this point is a bit of paperwork. While you probably got into commercial fishing to avoid pushing paper, some things are unavoidable, especially when you are a business owner. In order to fish commercially in the state of California, you will want to make sure that you have the proper permits onboard at all times.

In the business of fishing, you need to be where the fish are biting. If this means anywhere inland, or within three nautical miles of the coast, that will fall under state jurisdiction, which means you will require state-level permits. Issued by the California Department of Wildlife, there are a number of different resident and non-resident commercial fishing licenses, registrations and endorsements. At the Commercial Fishing Permits Center, we have online forms for all the California permits that you need, allowing you to submit your applications with just a matter of clicks.

Getting the Right NOAA Permits

California sits against many well-stocked federal fisheries, all of which are regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Federal waters are technically anything in the area between three and 200 nautical miles from land. As you can imagine, this can be a sizable amount of territory, so the NOAA separates out their permit offerings by region. For California fishermen, the West Coast region will be the most applicable. By working with us, you can apply for all the West Coast NOAA permits you to need online. Simply select your region from our navigation menu and you will be brought to a landing page containing all of our available options. 

Save Yourself Time by Working with Us!

Whether you need permits from the California Department of Wildlife or the NOAA, why not save yourself some time and energy by working with us at the Commercial Fishing Permits Center? We built our website and business with busy commercial fishermen in mind, and we can help you get back out on the water to net your catch. To learn more, take a few minutes to browse our website.