Urgent! Please Read!!!

[Catch & Release]

A disturbing development has come about that I wanted to call to anyone's attention that is not already aware of this. Frankly, I am surprised it has been kept so quiet. Please take the time to read this and let the commissioners know your feelings about it.

The short version of the situation as I understand it is that a group of (about 40) commercial fishermen (supposedly from W TN) lobbied the state legislature to pass a bill which in the end has had the effect of some of the TWRA fisheries guys recommending at the last TWRA commissioners meeting that some of our most prized trophy striper waters be opened to commercial fishing for spoonbills. As you probably know this is done with gill nets. These nets kill pretty much anything that comes in contact with them – including perhaps entire schools of trophy stripers all at once. What sense does it make to stock and manage Cordell Hull (or any other body of water) as trophy striper water with special recreational restrictions and then allow the fish to be wiped out indiscriminately by these nets? Note that these restrictions would effect fisheries in Middle and East TN both.

There’s more detail below if you’re interested/concerned about this. Iif you have a minute and are willing I/We would certainly appreciate your support on this by emailing the letter below to the TWRA commissioners (address below too). If you feel so inclined please pass this on to any one that you think might be interested and feel free to repost it anywhere that might produce additional support. Please let them hear from you on this. Note that the next TWRC meeting is next week so this is time sensitive.

Thanks,

Tim


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Link to the text below at TWRA : http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/7806 (http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/7806)

Also presented were recommendations offered by Commercial Fishing Advisory Committee. The volunteer committee is entirely comprised of nine members of the commercial fishing community and was recently established by the Tennessee General Assembly. Its recommendations were:
· Eliminate Region 2 contract requirements (calling in and reporting).
· Reduce the number of commercial roe fish licenses (Type 108) sold to 70.
· Make it legal for commercial fishing helpers to run gear without presence of commercial license holders.
· Change mesh size of hoop nets to be 1 inch on the square and larger.
· Open Tellico Reservoir to commercial fishing.
· Rework commercial fishing laws to resemble a business regulation model following the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act.
· Open commercial harvest of catfish in Fort Loudoun Reservoir.
· Drop the statewide limit on catfish over 34 inches.
· Paddlefish recommendations: no changes be made to the handling procedures; no changes be made to the Mississippi River regulations; and implement a 5-year plan to open new waters to paddlefish harvest beginning in the 2011-2012 harvest season. The new plan a) requests that existing regulations be kept the same for water bodies currently open to commercial harvest; and b) creates a rotational plan for opening Norris, Watts Bar, Cordell Hull, Old Hickory and Melton Hill reservoirs to paddlefish harvest with a limited season of January 15–April 15. Upon accepting items (a) and (b), then increase length limit to 38 inches for the new 5-year plan.


These recommendations will be reviewed by TWRA staff. After input from the general public, this issue will be reviewed by the commission.

The TWRC will hold its next meeting Oct. 13-14 in Nashville. Full Article http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/7806 (http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/7806)


State Bill forcing TWRA to create the committee. TN Senate Bill 1140 http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/195800 (http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/195800) or http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/TN/SB1140 (http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/TN/SB1140) are behind these changes.

Send emails to the following address... this address will go to the TWRCommissioners!


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TWRA.Comment@tn.gov (TWRA.Comment@tn.gov)

Possible letter to send (Copy and paste into your email)

Subject Commercial Fishing Proposal

Please do not allow the expansion of Commercial fishing into any new waters in Tennessee. By allowing commercial gill nets in our Reservoirs, sport fishing will suffer a certain decline. These types of nets will not discriminate and do not allow release of our stocked, sport fish such as walleye catfish and striped bass. I believe that the Sport fishing economic impact to our region is much larger and support many more jobs than the expansion of the 40-50 commercial licenses holders in our state. We do not need this expansion to new waters and we do not need to take a risk with our TN sport fishing resource. Do not allow this proposal!


optional below
Name
address
e-mail
cell #


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Here is the site for a list of TWRA commissioner names: http://www.tn.gov/twra/comnames.html (http://www.tn.gov/twra/comnames.html)

[Turkeyhunter_2008]

I'm not sure how much difference my opinion makes to the commissioners as I live in Kentucky. But I do agree that this would not be beneficial to the sport fishing in Tennessee waters. My letter is copied and sent on to the commission.

[Adough]

My letter is copied and sent on to the commission too. Keep those letters going guys!

[tkwalker]

In the early 80's myself and Dillon Mitchener commercial fished for Paddlefish during the Russian embargo on caviar (Paddlefish is in the sturgeon family not catfish).

I was made aware of this motion and meeting about a week ago. In the next couple of days I will gather my thoughts and old memories And reply with another post of my experiences the good and the bad ... <'TK>< :)

[Turkeyhunter_2008]

I was made aware of this motion and meeting about a week ago. In the next couple of days I will gather my thoughts and old memories And reply with another post of my experiences the good and the bad ... <'TK>< :)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

'TK, without starting a huge debate about this with everyone, I personally would be very interested to to hear some of your stories and pros/cons on this subject with your unique position in this with you being in both the commercial fisherman and as a sportfishing guide on these waters at different times in your career. I'm sure you could share insight into this, in a way that most of us that truly don't know too much about the commercial side of it, don't see sometimes.
Thanks

[clean air]

Looks like the trophy cat reg is going to go to and some of those waters have fish consumtion warnings.I thought you couldnt eat anything out of Loudoun?They take those big cats and sell them to pay lakes.I dont agree with it but times are tuff and everybody is trying to make more money.They would have to lift the food advisory on those lake before they can sell catfish to market wouldnt they?They could put a label on the meat that says lead,mercury,and P.C.B.Didn't they try to pass this a few years ago?

[Travis C.]

.They would have to lift the food advisory on those lake before they can sell catfish to market wouldnt they?

We could just do what China and other countries do to us. Package it up send it on and let the receiving countries governing body catch it. Money is green either way.

Sounds crazy.. Some of the places over in China where the fish are located are incredibly contaminated. That country is not as far removed from the "industrial revolution" as we are. Most the outer areas are struggling to just feed people. They worry more about providing for their people before strictly regulating the product.

[tkwalker]

Looks like the trophy cat reg is going to go to and some of those waters have fish consumtion warnings.I thought you couldnt eat anything out of Loudoun?They take those big cats and sell them to pay lakes.I dont agree with it but times are tuff and everybody is trying to make more money.They would have to lift the food advisory on those lake before they can sell catfish to market wouldnt they?They could put a label on the meat that says lead,mercury,and P.C.B.Didn't they try to pass this a few years ago?

I will state again ... paddle fish are not Cat fish ... They are not bottom eaters ... They strain plankton through those large gills (they are of the sturgeon family) .... also a lot of the fish restaurants (fast food chain in the 80's era who served White fish ...guess what ... paddle fish !! ... also I think this is aimed for Old Hickory (Cumberland River from Hwy 231 to Cordel Hull dam) More to come .... <'TK><

[tkwalker]

I was made aware of this motion and meeting about a week ago. In the next couple of days I will gather my thoughts and old memories And reply with another post of my experiences the good and the bad ... <'TK>< :)[/COLOR][/SIZE]

'TK, without starting a huge debate about this with everyone, I personally would be very interested to to hear some of your stories and pros/cons on this subject with your unique position in this with you being in both the commercial fisherman and as a sportfishing guide on these waters at different times in your career. I'm sure you could share insight into this, in a way that most of us that truly don't know too much about the commercial side of it, don't see sometimes.
Thanks[/QUOTE]

I am in the process of reading my 31 year old fishing logs as well as talking to my fishing partner at that time to make sure we get our facts straight ... I will post sometimes this weekend .... <'TK>< :o

[clean air]

I was talking about all the rule changes for the commercial fishing industry.Not just paddlefish.When we got the trophy cat rule our state made fishing news for doing it because our rivers grow some of the biggest cats in the nation.Even Bill Dance hailed the new law and now some groups want to wipe it.Since the law I have caught cat over 34inches on almost everytrip to the TN river.What if just I alone kept all those fish.The commercial guys I have talked to that catch catfish on Nickajack hate the cat rule because those big cats can be sold to pay lakes for good money.This one gentleman uses trotlines with hundreds if not a 1000 hooks. I can only imagine how many pounds of fish he catches.I would hate to see our great stripers and cat harmed.

[bd-]

In my opinion this is another case of commercial fishermen not liking the rules passed by TWRA, which are based on sound science and biology for the benefit of sportsmen - so they go to the General Assembly where they can lobby out of sight and get a bill passed to override TWRA and the Commission.

Everybody keep in mind that commercial fishermen don't pay their own way in Tennessee these days. They are subsidized by sportsmen and our license dollars.

TWRA is already struggling with not enough funds in its budget. And now, we are on the verge of TWRA biologists being pulled away to study new paddlefish fisheries for the sole benefit of commercial fishermen. TWRA's wildlife officers will be spending time keeping an eye on paddlefish harvest in new places like the Old Hickory headwaters, instead of stopping poachers and checking fishing licenses. There's already not enough officers to provide the levels of enforcement that sportsmen want, and this will make it worse. How long will it be before TWRA has to raise our fishing license fees again to cover these additional demands on their resources.

Raise the price of commercial fishing licenses until they subsidize sportsmen, and maybe we won't have a right to complain so much.

But right now, I have absolutely zero interest in letting a bunch of paddlefish netters suck away another chunk of my license dollars so that they can rake in some extra profit on paddlefish at my expense.

bd

[clean air]

I hate to stop somebody from making a living in these hard times but I hope its not passed.

[tkwalker]

I guess I have had the privilege to see and work both sides of the fishing industry in Tennessee, pleasure, commercial and a professional Guide. As well as spending hundreds if not thousands of hours sport fishing for most species that our great State offers, both pleasure and tournaments over the years.

In 1980 and 1981 a good friend of mine Dillon Michener and myself decided to try our hand at Commercial fishing on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin. This was during the Carter Administration . Money was tight and the interest rate was over 20% for anything from a car, appliance or a home … Everyone was looking for extra money. First off we contacted TWRA for the proper Licenses, rules and regulations.

We purchased a used commercial flat bottom boat and spent a day at Memphis Net and Twine for paraphernalia we would need … Then we started building our catfish slat baskets out of green oak . We had about $5.00 in materials … We could have bought them pre built for $25.00 … But we were on a shoestring budget, and what the heck what was 8 hours labor per basket in the hot summertime. For bait we used curried cheese from the local Kraft plant … STINKY STUFF, especially in 100 degree summer heat! … Even worse than working at a pig farm !!!

We started fishing in the Summer of 1980. We actually really enjoyed this, nice warm weather, being outdoors, and actually making a living off of something we enjoy, fishing. We ran trot lines, Gil nets, slat baskets for catfish. We used a cast net to catch our trot line bait. We fished basically out of Cairo Ramp and fished to the 231 bridge up stream … We really had a pretty good start with our Catfish , Buffalo sales. We set up a Fish stand in the back of our Pickup with scales and live wells and would move to various parts of Gallatin on Saturday to sell our fish.

As fall came up on us, the Cat fishing basically came to a halt as far as nets, trot lines and baskets. When we started the notion of commercial fishing the paddlefish had really not entered our mine. We did not know a lot about them . But we found out that the Russian Embargo on Caviar had stopped the importation of this product and that the Paddlefish Roe was taking its place do to the fact it was actually of the Sturgeon family. That a pound of Paddlefish roe, after being processed which was procedure of removing the membrane form the eggs and salting down, was worth $24.00 a pound. A 35 pound Paddlefish will produce between 7 to 8 pounds of eggs. In another words one fish can produce $192 worth of eggs at the wholesale level. And this was 1980!! And the paddle fish meat is one of the best textured and flavor there is if the muscle is removed … This is also worth $$$ which we took advantage of.

Now this is the hard times, learning about paddle fishing . They run in the Winter . Yep, ice on the deck, rock salt, when you pull a net out of the water in turns instantly to ice and it shatters in your face like glass … It is cold and dangerous! Kind of reminds you of the “Deadliest Catch” on TV.


We had caught a few Paddlefish daily , no real big fish we processed the eggs and harvested the meat for resale … In late January we noticed that we were really missing some fish in our 4 nets . It had looked like that they were being run by someone. So we decided the stake out the Cairo Ramp one night in our van to see who may be doing this. What happened next was a Shock !!!

Around 10:00PM that night the river lit up down stream like the “CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE THIRD KIND”, We saw large spot lights running around the river and what we counted was approximately 10 to 12 boats. They were moving up and down stream on both sides of the river . We had no idea what they were or what was going on. The only thing we knew was that they had to come out of the Gallatin Steam Plant Ramp.

THEN TO OUR SHOCK !! WE saw a barrage of trucks heading our way entering the Cairo Ramp area. There was 16 in all. Large Commercial boats, towed with large pickups with campers, some with Refrigerator units , but none the less this was some serious machinery. Some boats equipped with Generators to support their Lighting . They launched and started up stream laying their nets, also every boat had on board radio, we heard the communication between them all night … We watched this all night from our Van parked in the rear of the access. Around 5:00 AM boats started back in to leave. By 6:00AM there was not a boat or vehicle to be seen anywhere. We did walk around the ramp and looked at license tags on the trucks that were parked here. The counties, West , East and South…. ranged from all over the State and one from Georgia and another from Alabama . THIS WAS A RADIO CONTROLLED FISH RAPING PACK !!

THE LAST SHOCK! After the boats came in Cairo we walked around to see if there was any evidence they had been there. The Cairo Ramp is unique (Then I don’t know about now) But is fairly shallow, so any evidence of carcass dumping was not found.
So we decided to drive down to the Gallatin Ramp and this is what we found. Approximately between 750 to 1000 pounds of Paddlefish carcass filled the little back cove of the ramp. No meat was attempted to be removed . IN another words these fish were ripped open and the egg sack removed and the fish were discarded. Good eatable fish. The meat, White Fish they are called in some venues, excellent. This really put a bad taste in our mouth about commercial fisherman who fished for this species …BY THE WAY THEY CAME BACK FOR TWO MORE NIGHTS AFTER THIS !!!

In the two years we fished for paddlefish only three stripers were ever caught in our nets. This astonished me because the Paddlefish and the striper migrate almost in the same proximity of time . A lot of this has to do with the mesh size of the net ( We never caught a Bass or Walleye) Also the fish are swimming upstream the fish usually are capable of gill movement so it is almost 100% that you will find the fish alive . We released our stripers that were caught and they swam off. I can’t say from what I saw from the evidence of the Rogue pack that they would take the time to remove the fish, knifing the head off would be easier.


I know the Commission is meeting on the 13th … I will be there I also there are a lot of big time lobbyist that are supporting a lot of changes. I do not have any problem with any commercial fisherman making an honest living. The following is a quote from a good friend that I think says it all .
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In my opinion this is another case of commercial fishermen not liking the rules passed by TWRA, which are based on sound science and biology for the benefit of sportsmen - so they go to the General Assembly where they can lobby out of sight and get a bill passed to override TWRA and the Commission.

Everybody keep in mind that commercial fishermen don't pay their own way in Tennessee these days. They are subsidized by sportsmen and our license dollars.

TWRA is already struggling with not enough funds in its budget. And now, we are on the verge of TWRA biologists being pulled away to study new paddlefish fisheries for the sole benefit of commercial fishermen. TWRA wildlife officers will be spending time keeping an eye on paddlefish harvest in new places like the Old Hickory headwaters, instead of stopping poachers and checking fishing licenses. There's already not enough officers to provide the levels of enforcement that sportsmen want, and this will make it worse. How long will it be before TWRA has to raise our fishing license fees again to cover these additional demands on their resources.

Raise the price of commercial fishing licenses until they subsidize sportsmen, and maybe we won't have a right to complain so much.

But right now, I have absolutely zero interest in letting a bunch of paddlefish netters suck away another chunk of my license dollars so that they can rake in some extra profit on paddlefish at my expense.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------These are things I think the Commission should take into consideration to prevent the Rape of 1980 from ever happening again.

1. Nets can only be run in the day light hours on the new areas that asked for . If anyone caught on these water after dark working nets are fined heavily or equipment impounded.

2. If Night time net running is allowed … The TWRA must be notified 24 hours in advance . If not, the same penalty applies that is found above.

3. TWRA to make a special tag for nets used to capture Paddlefish … The net tag should be at a price to offset the hiring of more agents or overtime for the TWRA agents to monitor these fishing areas.

4. Commercial fisherman must have on board the meat from the fish or the complete fish at all times even after leaving the fishery. And the meat should be proportional to the weight of the egg sacks. (In another words filleted meat is proportional to the fish it was removed from also the roe can be interpolated as well).


Folks, I have probably left a lot of things out. I hope TWRA has learned from it’s mistakes of the 80’s to never let this occur again. And I hope the Commercial fishing industry has reached another level of respect for our natural resource that has been managed by the TWRA. They have done a Heck of a Job !! <‘TK>< Walker www.FishingTN.com

[bd-]

Like I said, if the commercial fishermen paid their own way AND this was a sustainable fishery, I wouldn't be so concerned.

But right now, this will be a HUGE drain on TWRA's limited resources, both to evaluate the new fisheries and then provide enforcement if those fisheries are opened. And right now, the studies indicate that the current fisheries are overfished and abused. Why do these operations deserve access to new waters if they're not being good stewards of the fisheries they're allowed to work in now?

bd

[Jim]

Great Post TK!

Having worked in fisheries and natural resource management for the past 20 years, your story is a very common one. Only the place and species change.

Once fishing becomes totally about how to optimize short-term cash flow, the fishery is usually over-exploited pretty quickly. Modern industrial fishing practices are really difficult to manage because the speed at which the fish are captured. By the time managers or local fishermen notice the problem, it is already too late. These commercial practices are not in intended to be "sustainable", only to make as much money as possible before either the fish stock collapses or the regulations change to prohibit such actions.

If the fish are public resources of the people of Tennessee (paid for by many years of fishing licenses), then this amounts to cashing in all of our fish resources for the gain of a few private individuals.

I am all for private enterprise, and I run a small business, but regulations need to restrict destructive business and fisheries practices while allowing constructive practices. This is a difficult and ever changing effort.

In reality, this is not much different than the recent real estate crash. Years of sustainable growth, followed by poor management and regulation, resulting in a boom (lots of money made quickly with crazy loan strategies) and then a bust which will take years to recover from.

Hopefully, TWRA is allowed to continue to effectively manage the states fisheries resources for the long term benefit of all Tennesseans and not for the short term benefit of a few.

Again, great story TK. It really shows the range of practices (both good and bad) that fall under the general name of commercial fishing.

Jim

[bd-]

Hopefully, TWRA is allowed to continue to effectively manage the states fisheries resources for the long term benefit of all Tennesseans and not for the short term benefit of a few.

Unfortunately, this is part of the problem.

The commercial fishermen have pushed the Wildlife Resources Commission and TWRA to expand the paddlefish fishery for years. It has never passed, largely because of the concerns about overfishing and abuse that I mentioned above.

So now, the commercial fishermen have gone to the General Assembly and gotten a bill passed to override TWRA. They have no science, no biology, and no real policy justification to back them up - but commercial fishermen have an unified, organized lobby and sportsmen don't, so they got a bill passed. It's very unfortunate that our legislators operate this way. We have a Wildlife Resources Agency with biologists and officers who work very hard to protect the resources, and every so often some elected rep in the General Assembly decides, "well I don't like you guys, so I'm going to pass a bill and override what you say."

bd