Reading the current posts by Lengua, and Osprey brought a question to my mind. Rather than hijack one of those threads, I will ask it here.
Is bringing fresh fish into the US, on ice but not processed, legal? Are some species acceptable, but others not?
Edit; By not processed, I meant cut and wrapped, not necessarily whole or headed and gutted!
[Edited on 1-22-2016 by AKgringo]woody with a view - 1-22-2016 at 02:47 PM
almost nothing is illegal, except endangered species or mammal bones. they let you ring as much as you want until they determine it is for commercial
purposes. you don't want that!Hook - 1-22-2016 at 04:32 PM
There have been SOME cases where the US Border agents have asked to show a valid Mexican sportfishing license. It is rare.BigBearRider - 1-23-2016 at 11:15 AM
I've always declared the fish, and have never had an issue. No totoaba... 24baja - 1-23-2016 at 12:09 PM
Have always declared fish, have never been asked for fishing license and had guard look in freezer once in secondary.LaTijereta - 1-23-2016 at 01:37 PM
The one that drives them crazy is when they find a couple of cases of canned yellowtail or wahoo.. They are not sure what is in those mason jars, but
have never had to open/ forfeit any of my goods... BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 1-23-2016 at 03:38 PM
I have brought mucho fish back north through tecate and some through tj and never had a problem. most times, the agent didn't even crack the lids on
my ice chests and take a look at what i had.
several times, i have also brought north dozens of oysters from the oyster farm in san quintin without a problem or question.
i have never been asked for a fishing license, which i always had as i buy it by the year. i don't understand why an american border agent would ask
for a mexican fishing license anyway. that doesn't seem to be within their jurisdiction ?
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
weebray - 1-23-2016 at 06:03 PM
Every month thousands of "sport" fisherpeople bring tons of fresh ocean protein back from Baja California in coolers or wrapped in old tee-shirts. It
is then transferred to freezers where, two years later, it is served up to the importers pet/pets. The pets are not interested in eating fetid flesh
so the, now putrid, once precious, life is buried as fertilizer. This is why there are so many lovely trees in California. SaludosPacifico - 1-23-2016 at 07:03 PM
Every month thousands of "sport" fisherpeople bring tons of fresh ocean protein back from Baja California in coolers or wrapped in old tee-shirts. It
is then transferred to freezers where, two years later, it is served up to the importers pet/pets. The pets are not interested in eating fetid flesh
so the, now putrid, once precious, life is buried as fertilizer. This is why there are so many lovely trees in California. Saludos
Weebray, He's not asking about your personal past practices.
I encourage any fisherman to only bring back what they will consume in 2-3 months (if vacuum packed properly). If you run out of fish, it means it's
time for another Baja trip!
BigBearRider is correct...No Totoaba. It is one of the main fish types the Border Patrol is looking for.
Good luck!BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 1-23-2016 at 11:27 PM
Hola,
also, if you can't eat in within three months, learn how to can it. i have canned fish after 6 months that were a bit strong and after canning it,
you can't tell the difference.
just a thought.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
woody with a view - 1-24-2016 at 07:54 AM
a vacuum sealer is your friend.BajaBlanca - 1-24-2016 at 08:35 AM
not only can you cross the border here with your fish, Les's brother from Poland took it in coolers back to Poland! It was deep deep frozen and in 5
day coolers......durrelllrobert - 1-24-2016 at 12:09 PM
not only can you cross the border here with your fish, Les's brother from Poland took it in coolers back to Poland! It was deep deep frozen and in 5
day coolers......
did he take home any smoked yellowtail from your cannery? I swear i could live on that stuff!freediverbrian - 1-24-2016 at 12:52 PM
No gulf grouper , it is illegal to posess in California . don't know about crossing at Arizona
[Edited on 1-24-2016 by freediverbrian]weebray - 1-25-2016 at 08:14 AM
Excuse me, I meant "vacuum sealed" fetid flesh. All you "sports" fisher people out there - go to your freezer - look in the bottom. That yellow,
semi translucent, vacuum sealed protein is what I'm talking about.AKgringo - 1-25-2016 at 09:41 AM
Nomads, Thanks for the replies, I think I got what I need, so let's talk about freezing! Through the 80s, we were a family of six that loved to hunt
and fish, so we did a LOT of freezing and canning!
Vacuum packing is great, but unless you have a commercial grade freezer that stays below zero, the flavor and texture of the product will degrade.
Particularly in fish with a high fat content (like salmon) I agree with others who say that six months is about the limit.
I made a point of using one freezer for storage only, and did all my freezing in another one. Adding unfrozen fish to the storage freezer will raise
the temperature of the frozen fish high enough for spoilage to occur, even if it still feels solid.
If I had a lot of fish, I would move the kitchen freezer contents to the storage freezer, and use it like a blast freezer with lots of air flow around
the packages. It is better to keep the unfrozen packages on ice until one batch is frozen, and do multiple batches, rather than overload the freezer.
I can a lot of salmon, but I have never tried canning old freezer stock before. It makes more sense than cooking for Fido, or tossing it! Canning
with metal containers and a can sealer produces the best product, and is better for storage and handling, but glass is easier for most people.Tomas Tierra - 1-25-2016 at 12:12 PM
No gulf grouper , it is illegal to posess in California . don't know about crossing at Arizona
[Edited on 1-24-2016 by freediverbrian]
Same with Broomtail grouper(habitat PAC side only... I think?). Illegal to possess in CA..
Black Sea Bass illegal to take in CA, legal to possess in CA..
Both filets look very similar
TTmicah202 - 1-25-2016 at 03:34 PM
.
...had more trouble with a dozen eggs than the prawns I brought north last time
.redhilltown - 1-27-2016 at 12:26 AM
I just have to totally disagree with Weebray's assessment...though I know he has a point as to certain fishermen or friends of his and has seen it
first hand. But if you take care of the fish from the moment you catch it, 4-6 months later I don't care what you say, it is still better than
anything I can buy fresh. Though, it depends on the fish of course. Yellowtail/Bonito/Sierra/Dorado/Tuna...no...
Whitefish/Rockfish/Lingcod/Sheephead and other bottom fish, yes.
