Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fisheries Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Subcommittee backs bill removing physical commercial tag requirement for watermen's gear
Summary
HB 645 would eliminate the physical commercial tag on certain fishing gear while keeping identification numbers and licensing; proponents said the physical tags are weather‑vulnerable and duplicative, and the committee voted to report the bill.
Delegate Kent presented House Bill 645, which would remove the statutory requirement for a physical commercial tag on gear used by watermen — including pound nets, spike nets, crab traps and gill nets — while preserving the existing identification number requirement and licensing obligations. Kent said the physical tags often rust or are sun damaged or washed away and therefore impose a recurring burden on watermen.
Committee members asked how enforcement and theft would be addressed without a physical tag. Kent and witnesses explained the bill maintains an ID number on gear and requires watermen to carry their license, allowing enforcement officers to verify ownership and licensing. Adrienne Catulla, Deputy Secretary for Natural and Historic Resources, said she was standing in for Acting Commissioner Joe Gris and described the provision as providing flexibility while keeping transparency of identification and reducing agency resource needs.
A motion to recommend reporting HB 645 was made, seconded and the subcommittee voted to report the bill to full committee.
