Regulations - Chapter 17

Regulations Tools to be used in conjunction with other management practices to achieve specific fishery goals and objectives

Types of Regulations Licenses/permits Provide revenue Survey database Determine access to fishery

Types of Regulations Size limits Minimum size - protect juvenile fish until maturity Maximum size - protect small stock of spawning fish

Types of Regulations Size limits Slot limit - remove surplus of small fish, channel energy into medium-sized fish to help them get bigger faster

Types of Regulations Creel limits Provide equitable division of harvest Catch and release - reduce fishing mortality Maintain high catch rates Increase catch of larger fish

Types of Regulations Seasons Closed to protect spawning fish

Types of Regulations Closed areas Protect anglers from danger Protect fish in vulnerable habitats Spawning, nursery areas

Types of Regulations Gear restrictions Promote diversity of “experience” Promote inefficiency of harvest Special implications often important Reduce hooking mortality

Differences Among Habitat Types Coldwater fisheries Many regulations to protect from overexploitation

Differences Among Habitat Types Coolwater, warmwater streams, rivers Seldom overexploited, regulations generally liberalized Exceptions: smallmouth bass, anadromous stocks (e.g., striped bass)

Differences Among Habitat Types Lakes Regulations to prevent overharvest of top carnivores May be variable year-to-year Regulations now more common to reduce overexploitation of some prey (sunfish, perch)

Differences Among Habitat Types Reservoirs Highly variable, liberal to restrictive Spatial zoning - different regulations in different areas

Basis for Regulations Regulations should be based on: Biological relevance Public input

Future Direction Replacement of regional regulations by resource-specific regulations More difficult to understand More difficult to enforce More difficult to collect data needed to determine management needs for individual systems