(a) Notwithstanding Section 12000 or any other provision of this code, a person who holds a commercial fishing license issued pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 7850) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 6, or is operating a commercial passenger fishing boat licensed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 7920) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 6, and, for commercial purposes, either unlawfully takes a fish, within any meaning provided in Section 86, within a marine protected area, as defined in Section 2852, or engages in, or knowingly facilitates another person’s, fishing activity within the marine protected area, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than forty thousand dollars ($40,000), or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(b) If a person is convicted of a second or subsequent violation that is punishable pursuant to subdivision (a) and the violation occurred within 10 years of a prior violation that is punishable pursuant to subdivision (a) that resulted in a conviction, the department may suspend that person’s license described in subdivision (a), as applicable, or other privilege issued pursuant to this code, and that person shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(c) A person whose license or other privilege is suspended pursuant to this section may appeal the suspension to the commission. The commission shall initiate the appeal process within 12 months of the violator’s appeal request. The commission shall consider at least the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the person’s violations, the person’s culpability for the violations, and the injury to natural resources by the violations, and may restore a person’s license or other privileges.

(d) Notwithstanding Section 802 of the Penal Code, prosecution of an offense punishable under this section shall be commenced within three years after commission of the offense.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 189, Sec. 4. (AB 2369) Effective January 1, 2019.)