09-19-2007, 02:10 PM
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will hold its fall quarterly meeting September 30 through October 1 at agency headquarters, 1601 Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg.
Commission committees will meet beginning at approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 30, and again at 10:15 a.m. Monday, October 1. The Fisheries Committee meet will Sunday afternoon. The primary focus of that meeting will be a facilitated session with Commissioners as part of the process to update the agency's trout management plan.
The full Commission will meet for formal consideration of the agenda beginning at approximately 3 p.m. on October 1. All committee meetings and the review of the agenda are open to the public and attendance is encouraged.
Among the items the Commissioners are expected to consider is proposed rulemaking to address instances where an angler fishing from a boat may move from a section of a waterway governed under one set of fishing regulations to a section with more conservative regulations. For example, if one section of stream is managed under conventional Commonwealth inland waters for trout, a creel limit of five fish is in effect from the first Saturday after April 11 until Labor Day and bait is permitted. However, if the next downstream section is regulated under Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only regulations, harvest is only permitted from June 15 until Labor Day, the creel limit during this period is three, and bait is not permitted. Anglers boating from the upstream section to the downstream section any time before June 15 in this example would be in violation of the delayed harvest regulations if they had either trout or bait on board, even though these fish had been taken lawfully and gear used lawfully in the upstream section.
To address this matter, staff propose that language be inserted in sections related to special fishing regulations to note: "Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, an angler in a boat may possess bait and fish caught in compliance with the seasons, sizes and creel limits in effect for the waters from which taken, provided that the boat angler floats through the {specially regulated area} without stopping or engaging in the act of fishing or the boat angler takes out his boat at an access point within the {specially regulated area}.
The complete agenda and schedule for the meeting can be found on the Commission's web site at www.fishandboat.com. Select "About the PFBC" from the menu bar and choose "Agendas & Minutes
Commission committees will meet beginning at approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 30, and again at 10:15 a.m. Monday, October 1. The Fisheries Committee meet will Sunday afternoon. The primary focus of that meeting will be a facilitated session with Commissioners as part of the process to update the agency's trout management plan.
The full Commission will meet for formal consideration of the agenda beginning at approximately 3 p.m. on October 1. All committee meetings and the review of the agenda are open to the public and attendance is encouraged.
Among the items the Commissioners are expected to consider is proposed rulemaking to address instances where an angler fishing from a boat may move from a section of a waterway governed under one set of fishing regulations to a section with more conservative regulations. For example, if one section of stream is managed under conventional Commonwealth inland waters for trout, a creel limit of five fish is in effect from the first Saturday after April 11 until Labor Day and bait is permitted. However, if the next downstream section is regulated under Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only regulations, harvest is only permitted from June 15 until Labor Day, the creel limit during this period is three, and bait is not permitted. Anglers boating from the upstream section to the downstream section any time before June 15 in this example would be in violation of the delayed harvest regulations if they had either trout or bait on board, even though these fish had been taken lawfully and gear used lawfully in the upstream section.
To address this matter, staff propose that language be inserted in sections related to special fishing regulations to note: "Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, an angler in a boat may possess bait and fish caught in compliance with the seasons, sizes and creel limits in effect for the waters from which taken, provided that the boat angler floats through the {specially regulated area} without stopping or engaging in the act of fishing or the boat angler takes out his boat at an access point within the {specially regulated area}.
The complete agenda and schedule for the meeting can be found on the Commission's web site at www.fishandboat.com. Select "About the PFBC" from the menu bar and choose "Agendas & Minutes