Committee hears House Bill 5 to require registration, possible limits on commercial guided fishing

Representative Dan Byron, chairman of the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee, presented House Bill 5 in a committee hearing in Cheyenne that would authorize registration of commercially guided fishing boats and give the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission the option to promulgate rules limiting commercial use on designated sections of rivers.

The bill’s stated goal, Byron said, is “to protect the quality of the fishing experience” by collecting data on how many commercial guided boats operate on Wyoming waters and by providing the commission the authority to regulate launches or set area authorizations where necessary.

Supporters and agency officials told the committee they view the measure as a first step to address crowding, safety and local economic impacts. Alan Osterland, chief of fisheries for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, told members: “This statute gives us the regulatory authority to do it. … No, we could not do it without this bill. We could not do those things,” referring to limiting numbers of commercial launches or creating permit systems for particular river stretches.

Guides and local business owners described rapid growth in commercial guide activity in several basins and urged action. Paul…