Fisheries Branch Research Permitting

What type of research permit do I need?

Research permits, such as Scientific Collecting Permits (SCP), Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), and federal authorizations (ESA 4(d) and 10(a)(1)(A), may be required to carry out scientific, education, propagation, and management activities in which "take" is expected to occur.

Definition of Take

State (Fish and Game Code § 86):
"Take" means hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill.

If my research target species or incidental take (by-catch) species are…

Chinook Salmon, CDFW photo by M. Elyash

Not Listed

→

SCP

Steelhead, CDFW Photo by A. Hughan

Federally Listed

→

SCP
&
10(a)(1)(A) or 4(d)

Longfin Smelt © R. Reyes, all rights reserved

State Listed (CESA) or Fully Protected (FP)

→

CESA or FP MOU

Coho Salmon, CDFW photo by D. Acomb

State Listed (CESA) or Fully Protected (FP)
& Federally Listed

→

CESA or FP MOU
&
10(a)(1)(A) or 4(d)

* To apply for Federal ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) authorizations please contact National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Pacific marine and anadromous fish) or US Fish and Wildlife Service (all other fisheries species)
- A list of species under NOAA's jurisdiction can be found at NOAA Endangered and Threatened Marine Species.

Who needs to be permitted?

Individuals Working Independently
Individuals working independently (without direct on-site supervision) must be named on all state and federal research permits needed to take both the target and by-catch species associated with the requested take activities.

Individuals Working Under Direct Supervision
Individuals working under the direct on-site supervision of the individuals described above do not need to be named on the permits.

Scientific Collecting Permits (SCP)

Title 14 § 650 / Fish & Game Code § 1002

Definition of Take

Fish & Game Code § 86: "Take" means hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill.

SCPs allow take for…

Purpose

Interpretation

Science

*Includes basic or applied research with direct application to conservation or management of wildlife resources

Education

*Formal instruction or education requiring the use of the State's natural resources

Propagation

*Research and/or applied research to multiply or increase numbers as by natural reproduction

Which species can I take with an SCP?

Animals that are not listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Candidate under the California Endangered Species Act.

* May include federally listed species

SCP Fee Schedule

*All fees processes through:
CDFW License & Revenue Branch (LRB)
1740 N. Market Blvd.,
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 928-5849

Standard	Application	$105.83
	Issuance	$315.75
	Amendment	$105.83

Student	Application	$26.27
	Issuance	$53.05
	Amendment	$26.27

Applying for an SCP

SCP application (Form DFW 1379) and amendment (Form DFW 1379e) forms can be found on the CDFW Scientific Collecting Permits web page.

* Completed applications should be submitted to the CDFW License and Revenue Branch

SCP Contact Information

Leslie Alber
Fisheries Branch
Leslie.Alber@wildlife.ca.gov
(916) 323-9583

CESA Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)

California Endangered Species Act (CESA) MOUs

Fish & Game Code § 2081(a)

CESA MOUs allow take for...

Purpose

→

Science

Education

Management

by individuals, public agencies, universities, zoological gardens, & scientific or educational institutions

Which species can I take with a CESA MOU?

Animals listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Candidate under the California Endangered Species Act

* Refer to the Endangered and Threatened Animals List and the Special Animals List for CESA and other listing status

CESA MOU Contact Information

Leslie Alber

Fisheries Branch

Leslie.Alber@wildlife.ca.gov

(916) 323-9583

* Additional information on CESA can be found on the CDFW California Endangered Species Act (CESA) web page.

Fully Protected Species Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)

California Fully Protected (FP) MOUs

Fish & Game Code § 5515

FP MOUs allow take for...

Purpose

→

Scientific Research

→

including efforts to recover fully protected, threatened or endangered species

Which species can I take with a FP MOU?

Animals listed as fully protected under Fish and Game Code § 5515(b)
Colorado River squawfish	Thicktail chub¹	Mohave chub	Lost River sucker	Modoc sucker
Shortnose sucker	Humpback sucker	Owens pupfish	Unarmored threespine stickleback	Rough sculpin

¹Presumed to be extirpated

FP MOU Public Information Notice (PIN)

* Required prior to authorization of any Fully Protected species MOU

Written by Fisheries Branch (describes the proposed work)
Submitted to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL)
Published in the California Regulatory Notice Register
- 30 day public review/comment period

FP MOU Contact Information

Leslie Alber

Fisheries Branch

Leslie.Alber@wildlife.ca.gov

(916) 323-9583

* Additional information on Fully Protected Species can be found on the CDFW Fully Protected Animals web page.

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Authorizations

ESA § 4(d)

Cooperative Program between NMFS and CDFW

* Results in an annual federal authorization administered through a state program

4(d) Authorizations allow take for...

Purpose

→

Scientific Research

→

Threatened species by approval through Final 4(d) Rules in a program that provides limits on take prohibitions in section 9(a)(1) of the ESA

What species can I take with a 4(d) Authorization?

Federally Threatened
Chinook salmon	Coho salmon
Steelhead	Green Sturgeon

Applying for a 4(d) Authorization

Applications can be completed on NOAA's Authorizations and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) website annually. Applications can be drafted prior to submission in APPS, but can only be submitted during the application submission window. Upon approval 4(d) authorizations are valid for one calendar year (January - December).

* The application submission window for the 2019 4(d) Program opens September 1, 2018 and closes September 16, 2018.

4(d) Authorization Contacts

Leslie Alber

CDFW Fisheries Branch

Leslie.Alber@wildlife.ca.gov

(916) 323-9583

Gary Rule

NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region

gary.rule@noaa.gov

(503) 230-5424

What other permit(s) might I need?

Importation Permit - State law requires an Importation Permit to import most live aquatic plants and animals.
Private Stocking Permit - State law requires a permit for private transportation and stocking of live aquatic plants and animals (includes imported and reared in CA) in many waters of the State.
Hatchery Fish or Egg Requests - required for use of hatchery trout, anadromous, or inland fish or fish eggs for research or educational purposes.
Incidental Take Permit (ITP) - authorizes take (Fish & Game Code §86) of CESA listed species during construction, utility, transportation, and other infrastructure-related projects. More information can be found at Habitat Conservation CESA.
Wildlife Species Permit - Take (Fish & Game Code §86) of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and terrestrial and vernal pool invertebrates is authorized through the CDFW Wildlife Branch. More information can be found at Wildlife Branch - Nongame Wildlife Program.

Freshwater Importation Permits

Title 14 § 236(c)

An Importation Permit is required to import most live aquatic plants and animals:

Standard Importation Permit

Importing one shipment from one supplier

→

One time use

Long-term Importation Permit

Valid for mulitple shipments from one supplier under the same conditions where the risk of introducing diseases, parasites, or undesirable species with the imported animals is very low

→

One year

Fee Schedule

Importation Type	Cost
Standard	$49.25
Long-Term	$59.25

Applying for an Importation Permit

The Standard or Long-Term Importation Permit application (Form DFW 789), and information leaflet (Leaflet No. 36), can be found on the CDFW Aquaculture web page under Regulations, Guidelines and Permit Applications.

Completed applications can be mailed to:

Importation Permit Program
CDFW Fisheries Branch 830 S Street Sacramento, Ca 95811

* Complete applications & fees must reach Fisheries Branch at least 10 business days prior to shipment

Freshwater Importation Permit Contact

Karen Mitchell

Fisheries Branch

Karen.Mitchell@wildlife.ca.gov

(916) 445-0826

Private Stocking Permits

Title 14 § 238.5, Fish & Game Code § 6400 and 6401

A Private Stocking Permit is required for:

Private transportation and stocking of live aquatic plants and animals in many waters of the State.

Where do I get fish?

Fish for private stocking may be purchased from a registered agriculturist.

* You may not lawfully stock your pond with fish taken under the provisions of a sport fishing license.

Species and Areas that do not require a Private Stocking Permit

* the following species may be stocked in private ponds and the following permissible areas without a Private Stocking Permit.

Species
White Catfish	Channel Catfish	Blue Catfish	Largemouth Bass
Bluegill	Sacramento Perch	Rainbow Trout	Redear Sunfish

Permissible counties or portion of counties
Alameda	Amador¹	Butte	Calaveras
Colusa	Contra Costa	El Dorado	Fresno²
Glenn	Imperial	Kern³	Kings
Lake⁴	Los Angeles	Madera²	Mariposa
Merced	Napa	Nevada¹	Orange
Placer¹	Riverside	Sacramento	San Benito
San Bernardino	San Diego	San Joaquin	Santa Barbara
Solano	Stanislaus	Sutter	Tehama
Tulare²	Tuolumne	Ventura	Yolo
Yuba

¹West of Highway 49

²West of the national park and national forest boundaries

³Except in the Kern River drainage above Democrat Dam

⁴Except in the Eel River drainage

Fee Schedule

Permit Type	Cost
Private Stocking Permit	$61.03

Applying for a Private Stocking Permit

The Private Stocking Permit application (Form DFW 749) and information leaflet (Leaflet No. 6) can be found on the CDFW Aquaculture web page under Regulations, Guidelines and Permit Applications.

Completed applications and appropriate fees can be submitted to the appropriate regional office based on stocking location:

Region	Counties
Northern Region (1) 601 Locust Street Redding, Ca 96001 (530) 225-2300	Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehema, and Trinity
North Central Region (2) 1701 Nimbus Road Rancho Cordova, Ca 95670 (916) 358-2900	Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sutter, Yuba, Sacramento¹, San Joaquin², and Yolo² ¹Portions within the North Central Region ²North of I-80 and West of I-5
Bay-Delta Region (3) 7329 Silverado Road Napa, Ca 94558 (707) 944-5500	Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Solano, Sonoma, Sacramento¹, San Joaquin², and Yolo² ¹Portions within the Bay-Delta Region ²South of I-80 and West of I-5
Central Region (4) 1234 East Shaw Avenue Fresno, Ca 93710 (559) 243-4005	Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Monterey, Merced, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne
South Coast Region (5) 3883 Ruffin Road San Diego, Ca 92123 (858) 467-4201	Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura
Inland Deserts Region (6) 3602 Inland Empire Boulevard Suite C-220, Ontario, Ca 91764 (909) 484-0167	Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino

Private Stocking Permit Contact

Karen Mitchell

Fisheries Branch

Karen.Mitchell@wildlife.ca.gov

(916) 445-0826

Hatchery Fish or Egg Requests

Hatchery Fish or Egg Requests are required for

Obtaining hatchery fish, eggs, and/or any parts thereof for research and/or educational purposes

Before you apply

CDFW hatchery fish are raised with limited, dedicated funding. For this reason please consider the following prior to applying:

Anadromous Fish and Eggs
Fish and eggs allocated for research are those produced in excess of the mitigation requirement of each anadromous hatchery; therefore, it is necessary to have all requests known prior to spawning (August 1st deadline below) to accommodate surpluses for research. Unforeseen circumstances (i.e, drought) may effect production at hatcheries and may compromise CDFW's ability to supply requested fish/eggs.

Trout and Inland Fish and Eggs
Commercial sources of trout are available from registered private aquacultuists in California and must be considered for the use of for-profit entities, or for research projects with dedicated funding.

Hatchery Request Deadlines

Species	Submission Deadline
Trout/Inland Fish/Eggs/Parts Thereof	Year Round
Anadromous Fish/Eggs/Parts Thereof	August 1st *

* Late submission cannot be accepted

Do I still need an SCP or other research permit?

The flow chart will help you determine whether or not you will need other research permits in addition to your Hatchery Request.

*Hatchery Fish - Any fish produced and raised in captivity (F&GC 1800)*
*Natural Origin Fish - Any fish produced in the wild that is brought into the hatchery*

Requesting Hatchery Fish, Eggs, or Parts Thereof

Use the contact information below to request hatchery fish, eggs, and/or parts thereof for research and/or educational purposes. Hatchery Request Protocols will be provided upon request.

Hatchery Request Contact Information

Farhat Bajjaliya
Fisheries Branch
Farhat.Bajjaliya@wildlife.ca.gov
(916) 327-8855

Fisheries Branch Research Permitting

What type of research permit do I need?

Definition of Take

If my research target species or incidental take (by-catch) species are…

Who needs to be permitted?

Scientific Collecting Permits (SCP)

Definition of Take

SCPs allow take for…

Which species can I take with an SCP?

SCP Fee Schedule

Applying for an SCP

SCP Contact Information

CESA Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)

California Endangered Species Act (CESA) MOUs

CESA MOUs allow take for...

Which species can I take with a CESA MOU?

CESA MOU Contact Information

Fully Protected Species Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)

California Fully Protected (FP) MOUs

FP MOUs allow take for...

Which species can I take with a FP MOU?

FP MOU Public Information Notice (PIN)

FP MOU Contact Information

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) Authorizations

Cooperative Program between NMFS and CDFW

4(d) Authorizations allow take for...

What species can I take with a 4(d) Authorization?

Applying for a 4(d) Authorization

4(d) Authorization Contacts

What other permit(s) might I need?

Freshwater Importation Permits

An Importation Permit is required to import most live aquatic plants and animals:

Fee Schedule

Applying for an Importation Permit

Freshwater Importation Permit Contact

Private Stocking Permits

A Private Stocking Permit is required for:

Where do I get fish?

Species and Areas that do not require a Private Stocking Permit

Fee Schedule

Applying for a Private Stocking Permit

Private Stocking Permit Contact

Hatchery Fish or Egg Requests

Hatchery Fish or Egg Requests are required for

Before you apply

Hatchery Request Deadlines

Do I still need an SCP or other research permit?

Requesting Hatchery Fish, Eggs, or Parts Thereof

Related Information

NOAA Fisheries

USFWS