SECTIONS 78425-78430 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 78425-78430

78425. The Legislature finds and declares that this chapter is
enacted in the exercise of the police power of this state for the
purposes of protecting and furthering the public health and welfare.

78426. The Legislature further finds and declares that the
fisheries of this state are affected with a public interest, in that,
among other things:
(a) The harvesting, processing, manufacturing, and distributing of
fishery products constitute a paramount industry of this state,
which not only provides substantial and required revenues for the
state and its political subdivisions and employment and a means of
livelihood for many residents, but which also furnishes essential
foods that are vital to the public health and welfare.
(b) It is through commercial fishermen and receivers that more
than 90 percent of this state's citizens have access to these
healthful foods which are resources that belong to all of the
residents of the state and country.
(c) The stabilization, maintenance, and expansion of the
California commercial fisheries, and of the state, nationwide, and
foreign markets for its products are necessary to ensure the
consuming public access to, and an adequate supply of foods which are
indispensable in, a proper human diet, to protect, for the state and
its political subdivisions, a necessary source of tax revenue, to
provide and maintain an adequate standard of living for a segment of
the population of this state, to maintain proper wage scales for
those engaged in the California commercial fisheries, and to maintain
existing employment.
(d) The essentiality of fish, low in fat and calories, to proper
human nutrition and to the maintenance of a high level of public
health is such as to require that the public be made thoroughly aware
thereof, and be protected against misrepresentation and deception,
through the dissemination of accurate and scientific information
relative to the healthful qualities of fishery and seafood products,
their various classifications and the food values and industrial and
medicinal uses thereof, the methods, care, and precautions necessary
to their proper harvesting, processing, manufacturing, and
distributing, and the necessary costs and expenses thereof, and the
necessity and desirability on the part of the public of using and
consuming fishery products of the highest standards of quality.

78427. The Legislature declares that the purposes of this chapter
are as follows:
(a) To enable the seafood industry, with the aid of the state, to
educate the public on the nutritional and economic value and
importance of California seafood and the fishing industry and to
develop, maintain, and expand the state, nationwide, and foreign
markets for seafood products that are harvested, processed,
manufactured, sold, or distributed in this state.
(b) In aid, but not in limitation, of the purposes in subdivision
(a), to authorize and enable the secretary to formulate and
effectuate, directly or in cooperation with other agencies,
organizations, and other instrumentalities , sales stimulation and
consumer or other educational and research programs, designed to
inform the public about California seafood and to increase the use
and consumption of seafood and seafood products landed in California.
(c) To promote the continued viability of fisheries and thereby
promote continued access to California's seafood resources.
(d) To present facts to and negotiate with state, federal, and
other agencies on matters that affect the availability and marketing
of California seafood.
(e) To provide funds for the administration and enforcement of
this chapter by the collection of mandatory fees in the manner
prescribed in this chapter.

78428. This chapter shall be liberally construed.

78429. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof
to any person or circumstances is held invalid, that invalidity does
not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be
given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to
this end the provisions of this act are severable.

78430. A violation of this chapter is a misdemeanor.