Harpoons and Flying Gaffs for Recreational Tuna Fishery and Gear Marking in Commercial Harpoon Swordfish Fishery

The California Fish and Game Commission is exercising its rulemaking authority to amend Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations regarding recreational and commercial fishing for tuna, marlin, and swordfish. The primary objective is to permit recreational anglers to use harpoons and flying gaffs to land legally taken tuna, provided the gear is securely attached to the vessel and lacks buoys or floats. Additionally, the project implements nonsubstantive nomenclature updates, changing broadbill swordfish to swordfish and fin fish to finfish, while clarifying prohibitions on the use of spears and bow and arrow gear for taking marlin. For the commercial swordfish harpoon fishery, the amendments introduce specific gear marking requirements to distinguish such equipment from federally authorized deep-set buoy gear. These requirements mandate that terminal buoys be marked with the commercial fishing vessel ID and a yellow tag featuring the letters HAR in a contrasting color, with lettering at least 1.75 inches tall. Environmental reviews conducted under the California Environmental Quality Act concluded that these regulatory changes will not have a significant effect on the environment, resulting in the issuance of a Negative Declaration. The action was scheduled for consideration on October 14, 2026, with Melissa Miller-Henson serving as the primary point of contact.