Louisiana’s Salmon Reg Plan Changes
16 August 2023
Fish kill incidents occurred along the entire Texas beach during the week of February 14, 2021, serving as both a warning and an opportunity. It served as a reminder that we can just exert control over what we already have, and it continues to present Texas’ Spotted Seatrout fish with new opportunities.
What took place
The Upper and Lower Laguna Madre Bay systems’ bag and size restrictions for Spotted Seatrout were temporarily altered by an emergency ruling issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission( TPWC ). The law limited the size of Spotted Seatrout bags to 17 to 23 inches and lowered the cap to 3 fish.
On April 1, 2021, the The Upper and Lower Laguna Madre Bay systems’ bag and size restrictions for Spotted Seatrout were temporarily altered by an emergency ruling issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission( TPWC ). The law limited the size of Spotted Seatrout bags to 17 to 23 inches and lowered the cap to 3 fish. Since it was an emergency ruling and wasn’t subject to the normal rule-making process, the changes were effective for only 120 days, with a 1-time extension for another 60 days.
Data as a result
Number 1: Major Bay Program Spotted Seatrout Post-Freeze Spring Gill Net Data
According to reed online data, the spring 2021 Spotted Seatrout capture rates in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre were both roughly 30 % lower than the 10-year average. The Matagorda and San Antonio Bay systems both experienced notable declines in Spotted Seatrout get rates, according to the same information. Compared to the 10-year average, those capture charges were roughly 40 % lower.
The data revealed catch rates for Aransas, Galveston, and Sabine Lake that were at or close to the common catch rate over the previous ten years. In actuality, get prices for Corpus Christi increased by 10 % in 2021. The effects of the freeze on these systems seemed modest given the annual variation in populations that occurs naturally.
The TPWD staff was instructed to publish a proposal to extend the regulations after reviewing data from the spring 2021 season and another anecdotal reports from outdoor anglers. At their meeting in January 2022, they also passed temporary regulations for Spotted Seatrout. In order to help populations recover quickly from the 2021 winter wind, the law once more limited the size of spotted seatrout bags to 17 to 23 inches and the maximum number of fish that could be caught to 3 seafood. All southern water bodies in Sargent north of FM 457 were impacted by these regulatory changes. The temporary regulations will expire on August 31, 2023, and the fish will once again be subject to the historic 5-fish bag control with a 15 – to 25-inch gambling and 1 bass over 25 inches, barring any TPWC emergency action. In order to analyze new data and incorporate it into upcoming regulations created through the provincial statement process, CCA Texas supported the temporary rules changes and testified in favor of having an release date.
According to previous freeze recoveries (‘ 83 &’ 89 ), the regulation was intended to aid in the fishery’s recovery from the freeze. However, it takes 2 to 3 years to return to pre-freeze abundance( returning to historical size distribution and age classes takes much longer ). Although it is debatable whether the trout fishing has recovered, the rule-making process may govern any future changes outside of an emergency decision because the expiration date was established in statute. In other words, it will take time to change any more regulations.
The Trout Fishery’s Response to the Alterations:
With the exception of the Lower Laguna Madre, bay systems that were either close to the 10-year average spring gillnet CPUE following the freeze( i.e., those that weren’t significantly impacted by the event ) or ones that benefited from the initial emergency ruling( Upper Laguna madre ) appear to be on the path to recovery, according to TPWD’s spring 2023 data ( Figure 2 – seen below ). Although moving in the right direction, the Lower Laguna Madre is also 13.6 % below the 10-year average.
Number 2: Major Bay Method Change in Spring Gillnet CPU Percent Compared to 10-year Mean
Matagorda and San Antonio Bay, two bay systems that were not initially protected by the spring 2021 emergency ruling, are still far below the 10-year mean at 32 % and 34 %, respectively. A 238 % increase in CPUE in the TPWD bag seine studies in 2022 does seem to indicate that Matagorda Bay could gain from a sizable influx of young people into the fish.
Click here to read more.
Shane Bonnot, chairman of the CCA Coastal Advocacy, tells the tale.
