Friday, September 14, 2001

Fish guides, conservation groups may be teaming up

This is for those who believe fishing guides and fisheries conservation are mutually exclusive.
   The Coastal Bend Guides Association has submitted a
   proposal to Texas Parks and Wildlife that would reduce to zero the daily bag limit of spotted sea trout for guides on charter trips.
   Allying with local guides on this or other conservation measures, either by self- regulation or state rule, are associations of fishing guides and other groups up and down the coast, said Mark Lyons, president of the CBGA.
   For example, Walt Kittelberger, president of the Lower Laguna Madre Foundation, believes the fishery would be better served if TPW were to take measures to reduce the number of trophy trout taken during killer freezes, instead of focusing attention on the guides' take.
   Signing off on specific proposals by local guides is the Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association. Though it has no particular affiliation with local guides regarding these proposals, the Coastal Conservation Association-Texas also has been working on similar rule changes with TPW for some time, according to Kevin Daniels, executive director of CCA-Texas.
   Culture is changing for the better when professional fishing guides and conservation groups team up to enhance and preserve fishing for everyone.
   If adopted, the days of three anglers and a guide returning to the dock with 40 trout would be history. Whether guides continue to help clients reach their bag limits would be up to the individual captain.
   Also on the table is a limit on trophy trout. Under this proposal, no more than two trout measuring 28 inches or better could be kept by an angler per day. This should help reduce the number of large trout taken by anglers using croaker for bait, or any other means for that matter.
   This aspect of the guide's proposal is a variation on similar suggestions heard lately within the angling community. Perhaps the most widely publicized of these came from local guide Billy Sandifer, who publicly proclaimed that he would not allow his clients to keep trout greater than 26 inches unless they were headed for a taxidermy shop. Sandifer has not allowed clients to keep his bag limit of fish for some time now.
   He's not alone.
   Rounding out the CBGA proposition is a provision to limit entry into the guide profession. The details of how this would be accomplished must be ironed out. But the message is clear that the guides association wants to limit the number of professionals on the water.
   SEA has not taken a position on limited entry at this point. CCA-Texas also does not have a stand on this one.
   However, all three organizations support requiring saltwater guides to show proof of a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license when purchasing a state guide's license. This would require the state to issue separate licenses to saltwater and freshwater guides. This, alone, could reduce the number of guides, according to Lyons.
   Larry McKinney, senior director for aquatic resources at TPW, said the entire proposal package is one of the best steps the guides could have taken to help themselves and the resource. He sees the guides' stance as a long-term conservation measure aimed at changing angling attitudes from a meat-harvesting culture to one involving the recreational and equitable sharing of a public resource.
   McKinney also sees the trophy trout element of the proposal as a way to more fairly distribute a limited stock.
   Hal Osburn, TPW director of coastal fisheries, said these measures would complement or "fine tune" the department's existing management program for trout. He called the initiatives a way to manage trout stocks for quality as well as quantity in the face of escalating pressure and angler efficiency.
   "This has been on our radar screen for years," Osburn said. "It's encouraging to hear conservation-oriented suggestions like this from the public."
   No one I spoke with at TPW could see any reason why these proposals could not be adopted and enforced without creating new laws, despite a lack of biological basis for the measures. McKinney said the department has the prerogative to adopt such measures as a matter of resource distribution.
   But he emphasized that such rules would not be adopted without public support and could not be enacted without the OK of TPW commissioners.
   So expect public meetings on these proposals to be scheduled soon along the coast. If you can't wait for TPW to come to you, then don't.
   E-mail your comments and questions to:
   Kyle.spiller@tpwd.state.tx.us.
  
  
  

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