When does sport caught fish become just food?

Fishing in the ocean or streams is a favorite pastime, but knowing the rules is important too. One angler wants to know when exactly does his catch become just food and not work against the stated limit for the game?

If you catch your limit of salmon, which is 2 in a given day and over 24 inches in length, then break it down into parts and vacuum seal it into individual meals or can it, does it then stop being game and become food? It’s a good question, because you may think it differs from taking advantage of a grocery store sale and buying a couple cases of salmon.

My source at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says these types of ‘catches’ are apples and oranges, so to speak.

The CDFW says regardless of whether they are fresh, frozen, or otherwise preserved, if you have the edible portions of any sport-taken fish or game, they still count toward your possession limit until they are consumed. This is taken from the Fish and Game Code, Section 2001 and California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1.17.

Grocery stores can only sell commercially processed and packaged meats.

Possession refers only to sport-taken fish or game species.

For any fish or other meat purchased commercially, the CDFW says just keep them in their commercial packaging to easily differentiate between them from any sport-caught fish or game you may have in your possession.

If you have question for me, email me at DearJon@KIONRightNow.com.