Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
TWRA rule adds nine fish species for sale and closes trophy‑catfish loophole
Summary
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told lawmakers it will add nine species to the approved list for import and sale and bar fish farms and catch‑out facilities from taking large catfish from public waters and charging the public to catch them, a change requested by sportsmen and women to protect public resources.
Blair Beatty, legislative director for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, told the committee the agency's rule proposal adds nine species to the list allowed for import and sale and updates the licenses for fish farms to reflect the national wholesale market.
"1st, it adds 9 new species to the list of fish that may be imported for sale in Tennessee or raised in a licensed fish farm and sold in the state," Beatty said. He also described an amendment to prevent trophy catfish taken from public waters from being placed in private commercial ponds and sold to the public: the rule would prevent fish farms and catch-out facilities from taking catfish larger than approximately 34–40 inches for private commercial use.
The agency said sportsmen and women requested the change to protect trophy catfish as a public resource. With no public comment and no substantive member questions, the committee moved the rule packet forward with a positive recommendation.
