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Commission to discuss commercial fishing rule updates and invasive‑carp program; department proposes online reporting
Summary
The department proposed loosening some commercial fishing gear rules (adding hoop nets and seines), tightening invasive‑carp harvest ratios, removing fee waivers, and transitioning commercial fishing permits and reporting online; commissioners moved the package to discussion for further review.
The department’s fisheries director (speaker 22) presented a set of proposed amendments to commercial fishing regulations aimed at modernizing reporting, improving invasive‑carp removal focus and expanding allowable gear options.
Key proposals included adding hoop nets and seines as legal commercial fishing gear with specifications, requiring reporting of fishing activity timing and gear used, changing invasive carp:rough‑fish harvest ratio from 65:35 to 75:25 to emphasize carp removal, eliminating the waiver of commercial license fees for invasive‑carp‑only harvest, consolidating reporting onto monthly commercial reports (eliminating daily summary cards) and updating participant lists monthly instead of weekly. The department also proposed transitioning to online applications and payments for commercial fishing permits and clarifying suspension criteria tied to specific convictions.
“We want to increase focus on invasive carp and make reporting and permitting more efficient by using online tools,” the fisheries director said. (Fisheries director)
Commissioners had clarifying questions about program participation, enforcement and the timeline for an online reporting system; staff said IT has a template from recent guide reporting work that could support a commercial reporting portal and that the department expects to have online reporting available for the next commercial season if the regulatory timetable allows. The commission moved the commercial fishing and invasive‑carp items to discussion for the next meeting so staff can provide more detail.
What’s next: Staff will prepare a more detailed discussion packet with technical specs for allowable gear, draft language for the harvest‑ratio change, and the planned timeline for online application and reporting.
