Roger that, Big Lew.
Infection is possible, as is inadvertently killing the fish by puncturing a vital organ. On the other hand survival is also possible and a great many critters survive with any number of infections. If not, nothing is wasted in Nature. There is always a beneficiary. That being said,
here is the latest opinion from CA Sea Grant and CA DFG:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf