Comment Period Underway Concerning Plan to Study Paddlefish Roe Fisheries

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Fisheries Division is now soliciting comments concerning the plan to study the sustainability of commercial paddlefish roe fisheries on waters not currently open to commercial fishing in the state.

 

The Fisheries Division presented its plan at the recently-held meeting of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission. The TWRA was directed to present the plan as a result of a law passed last May by the Tennessee General Assembly (TCA 70-2-303). Those waters include Cordell Hull, Norris, Watts Barr, and Melton Hill lakes and a currently restricted section of Old Hickory Lake.

 

Comments may be sent via email to TWRA.comment@tn.gov with Paddlefish Plan on the subject line. Comments may also be mailed to Paddlefish Plan, Fisheries Division, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204. Deadline for submission is Jan. 11, 2012.

 

On Aug. 31, 2011, the Commercial Fishing Advisory Committee (CFAC) gave TWRA a list of closed waters where commercial fishers desire to fish for paddlefish using gillnets. The CFAC was established by the Tennessee General Assembly. The volunteer CFAC committee is comprised of nine members from the commercial fishing industry.

 

The overall goal of this study is to recommend commercial fishing regulations that promote sustainable paddlefish fisheries where possible. Components of sustainability include the protection of consumers from contaminants and limiting bycatch of sport fish.

 

Specific objectives:

 

         1) describe the size and age structure of paddlefish that are recruited to typical commercial gear on Old Hickory and Cordell Hull lakes;

          2) describe mortality, growth, recruitment and stock density (CPUE) of paddlefish in Old Hickory and Cordell Hull lakes;

          3) document bycatch (fish caught in addition to paddlefish) of non-target species;

          4) gather contaminant data for paddlefish flesh and eggs from Norris, Watts Bar, and Melton Hill lakes; and

          5) complete objectives 1 through 4 for Norris, Watts Bar and Melton Hill lakes pending results of contaminant studies.

 

           Population Survey – Paddlefish will be collected by selected commercial roe fishers during the two-year study at each reservoir. Commercial roe fishers with valid roe fishing permits will be randomly selected to participate. Three commercial fishing boats will be used at each reservoir, except Norris Lake where four boats will be used, two in each of the two major arms of the reservoir. Fishing locations will be determined by commercial fishers within each study area. The study will provide for 16 nights of fishing between February and March. Fishers will only set nets on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. 

 

Each boat will be limited to setting 12 nets. Commercial fishers will set and pull their own multifilament gillnets. Nets will be deployed within three hours prior to sunset on each sample day and net retrieval will begin between sunrise and 8 a.m. the following day. All nets will be removed from the water until the next evening set. Gillnets will be checked each morning in the presence of TWRA data recorders.

 

Roe from paddlefish over 40 inches (eye to fork length) will be eligible for harvest by commercial fishers. In addition, roe from paddlefish that are used for study purposes will also be available for harvest by commercial fishers. 

  

           Tissue and Egg Samples for Contaminant Analysis – TWRA will use gillnets or electrofishing gear to collect paddlefish for flesh and egg samples between January 1 and April 30. Samples will be collected from Norris, Watts Bar, and Melton Hill lakes where fish tissue contaminant advisories currently exist.

 

          Bycatch Data Analysis: All species captured in gillnets will be reported. If fish other than paddlefish are captured, TWRA staff will calculate the number of days each commercial boat (fishing a maximum of 12 nets daily) exceeded the typical creel limit for each species of sport fish. For example, the daily creel limit for striped bass is typically 2 fish per day. The daily creel limit for each sport fish will be used as a benchmark to evaluate bycatch levels that would trigger a management concern.

 

Schedule of study activities by reservoir 

 

* Pending results of contaminant study.

 

 

The study budgets include funds for public meetings, study coordination meetings, contaminant surveys as needed, paddlefish population survey fieldwork, laboratory analyses to determine the ages of captured paddlefish, data analysis, and reporting.   

---TWRA---   

For a complete PDF version of the plan, click here.