Here is a selected section of the first draft of the 2006 Game and Fish Bill. This section pertains to tournaments and transportation of fish. I’d like to ask you to review this and reply with comments.
As you may recall the DNR opened the Tournament Rules package for public comment last year. However rather then work within that process, they are proceeding by using Statute rather then rule-making. The Statute process does not have the same type of public comment opportunities.
While I can live with most of what is in the bill, I feel it needs further review and comment. So, here is you opportunity to be part of the American Democracy.
You can read the entire first draft at this addy, the bill will change as it is amended during the session
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H3116.0.html&session=ls84
9.3 Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97C.081, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
9.4 Subd. 4. Restrictions. The commissioner may by rule establish restrictions on
9.5 fishing contests to protect fish and fish habitat, to minimize user conflicts, and for the
9.6 safety of contest participants.
9.7 Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97C.081, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
9.8 Subd. 6. Permit application process. (a) Beginning September August 1 each
9.9 year, the commissioner shall accept permit applications for fishing contests to be held in
9.10 the following year.
9.11 (b) If the number of permit applications received by the commissioner from
9.12 September August 1 through the last Friday in October September exceeds the limits
9.13 specified in subdivisions 7 and 8, the commissioner shall notify the affected applicants
9.14 that their requested locations and time period are subject to a drawing. After notification,
9.15 the commissioner shall allow the affected applicants a minimum of seven days to change
9.16 the location or time period requested on their applications, provided that the change is
9.17 not to a location or time period for which applications are already at or above the limits
9.18 specified in subdivisions 7 and 8.
9.19 (c) After the applicants have been given at least seven days to change their
9.20 applications, the commissioner shall conduct a drawing for all locations and time periods
9.21 for which applications exceed limits. First preference in the drawings shall be given
9.22 to applicants for established or traditional fishing contests, and second preference to
9.23 applicants for contests that are not established as traditional fishing contests based on the
9.24 number of times they have been unsuccessful in previous drawings. Except for applicants
9.25 of established or traditional fishing contests, an applicant who is successful in a drawing
9.26 loses all accumulated preference. “Established or traditional fishing contest” means a
9.27 fishing contest that was issued permits in 1999 and 2000 or was issued permits four out of
9.28 five years from 1996 to 2000 for the same lake and time period. Beginning with 2001,
9.29 established or traditional fishing contests must continue to be conducted at least four out
9.30 of five years for the same lake and time period to remain established or traditional.
9.31 (d) The commissioner has until December November 7 to approve or deny permit
9.32 applications that are submitted by 4:30 p.m. on the last Friday in October September. The
9.33 commissioner may approve a permit application that is received after 4:30 p.m. on the last
10.1 Friday in October September if approving the application would not result in exceeding
10.2 the limits in subdivisions 7 and 8.
10.3 Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97C.081, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
10.4 Subd. 8. Limits on number of fishing contests. (a) The number of permitted
10.5 fishing contests allowed each month on a water body shall not exceed the following limits:
10.6 (1) Lakes:
10.7 Maximum number Maximum number Maximum number
10.8 of permitted fishing of large permitted of permitted fishing
10.9 contests fishing contests contest days
10.10 Size/acres
10.11 less than 2,000 2 0 4
10.12 2,000-4,999 3 1 6
10.13 5,000-14,999 4 2 8
10.14 15,000-55,000 5 3 10
10.15 more than 55,000 no limit no limit no limit
10.16 (b) For boundary waters water lakes, the limits on the number of permitted fishing
10.17 contests shall be determined based on the Minnesota acreage.
10.18 (2) Rivers:
10.19 Maximum number Maximum number Maximum number
10.20 of permitted fishing of large permitted of permitted fishing
10.21 contestsfishing contestscontest days
10.22 Mississippi River:
10.23 Pool 1, 2, 3, 5, 5A,
10.24 6, 7, 8, 94 (each pool)2 (each pool)8 (each pool)
10.25 Pool 45310
10.26 St. Croix River214
10.27 Lake St. Croix428
10.28 Contest waters identified in the permit for Mississippi River pools are limited to
10.29 no more than one lockage upstream and one lockage downstream from the pool where
10.30 the contest access and weigh-in is located.
11.1 Contest waters for Lake St. Croix are bounded by the U.S. Highway 10 bridge at
11.2 Prescott upstream to the Arcola Bar. Contest waters for the St. Croix River are bounded
11.3 by the Arcola Bar upstream to the Wisconsin state line.
11.4 For all other rivers, no more than two contest permits, not to exceed four days
11.5 combined, may be issued for any continuous segment of a river per month. Of the two
11.6 contests permitted, only one shall be a large permitted fishing contest. Permits issued by
11.7 the commissioner shall not exceed 60 continuous river miles.
11.8 Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97C.081, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
11.9 Subd. 9. Permit restrictions. (a) The commissioner may require fishing contest
11.10 permittees to limit prefishing to week days only as a condition of a fishing contest permit.
11.11 The commissioner may require proof from permittees that prefishing restrictions on the
11.12 permit are communicated to fishing contest participants and enforced.
11.13 (b) The commissioner may require permit restrictions on the hours that a permitted
11.14 fishing contest is conducted, including, but not limited to, starting and ending times.
11.15 (c) The commissioner may require permit restrictions on the number of parking
11.16 spaces that may be used on a state-owned public water access site. The commissioner may
11.17 require proof from permittees that parking restrictions on the permit are communicated to
11.18 fishing contest participants and enforced.
11.19 (d) To prevent undue loss mortality of released fish, the commissioner may require
11.20 restrictions for off-site weigh-ins and live releases on a fishing contest permit or may deny
11.21 permits requesting an off-site weigh-in or live release.
11.22 (e) A person may not transfer a fishing contest permit to another person.
11.23 (f) Failure to comply with fishing contest permit restrictions may be considered
11.24 grounds for denial of future permit applications.
11.25 Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97C.205, is amended to read:
11.26 97C.205 RULES FOR TRANSPORTING AND STOCKING FISH.
11.27 (a) Except on the water body where taken, a person may not transport a live fish in a
11.28 quantity of water sufficient to keep the fish alive, unless the fish:
11.29 (1) is being transported under an aquaculture license as authorized under sections
11.30 17.4985 and 17.4986;
11.31 (2) is being transported for a fishing contest weigh-in under section 97C.081;
11.32 (3) is a minnow being transported under section 97C.515;
11.33 (4) is being transported by a commercial fishing license holder under section
11.34 97C.821; or
12.1 (5) is being transported as otherwise authorized in this section.
12.2 (b) The commissioner may adopt rules to allow and regulate:
12.3 (1) the transportation of fish and fish eggs from one body of water to another; and
12.4 (2) the stocking of waters with fish or fish eggs.
12.5 (b) (c) The commissioner shall prescribe rules designed to encourage local sporting
12.6 organizations to propagate game fish by using rearing ponds. The rules must:
12.7 (1) prescribe methods to acquire brood stock for the ponds by seining public waters;
12.8 (2) allow the sporting organizations to own and use seines and other necessary
12.9 equipment; and
12.10 (3) prescribe methods for stocking the fish in public waters that give priority to the
12.11 needs of the community where the fish are reared and the desires of the organization
12.12 operating the rearing pond.
12.13 (c) (d) A person age 16 or under may, for purposes of display in a home aquarium,
12.14 transport largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass, black crappie,
12.15 white crappie, bluegill pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange spotted sunfish, and black,
12.16 yellow, and brown bullheads taken by angling. No more than four of each species may
12.17 be transported at any one time, and any individual fish can be no longer than ten inches
12.18 in total length.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Martin Luther King Jr.
Vern Wagner, 5221 42nd Ave. So, Mpls. MN 55417, (C) 612-SLO-FISH (h) 612-SAY-FISH, Fax 612-348-4918 Conservation Director, Minnesota Bass Federation, Board member Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance, Member TRCP
