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Committee advances catfish enforcement bill after testimony on large commercial netting and pay‑lake trade
Summary
Witnesses, fisheries officials and local stakeholders told the committee that large trophy catfish are being netted and transported to pay‑to‑fish ponds out of state; the committee adopted a committee substitute with a reverse repealer and voted to report the proposal for further work.
A state Senate committee on wildlife advanced a bill aimed at stopping commercial netting and the transport of trophy catfish after numerous witnesses described large‑scale removals from the Mississippi River and subsequent sales to northern pay‑to‑fish ponds.
Witnesses told the panel that commercial netting crews working on border rivers have removed large catfish and moved them to private holding ponds, then shipped them out of state for sale. ‘‘They take these fish, and they're huge fish…they sell them for $4 or $5 a pound,’’ said Roy, a witness introduced by a committee guest, describing investigative findings and local observations. Roy also…
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