The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission took emergency action Wednesday, moving to temporarily alter spotted seatrout regulations in response to the significant fish kill that resulted from February's severe freeze.
The current statewide speckled trout regulations are a five fish daily bag limit and 15-25 inch slot limit with the ability to keep one fish over 25 inches long. The temporary Laguna Madre regulations will drop the daily bag to three fish and the slot limit to 17-23 inches. The Laguna Madre regulations will affect inshore waters South of the JFK Causeway, including adjacent beachfronts from Packery Channel, down to the Rio Grande.
"I agree with the staff recommendation,” said commissioner Jeanne Latimer during Wednesday's work session.
TPW Commission approves emergency rule
At its March 24 meeting, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved an Emergency Rule changing the speckled trout limits and size restrictions in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre.
The rule will provide for a three-fish limit (as opposed to the current five-fish limit) and size restrictions of 17-23 inches (as opposed to the current 15-25 inches, with one fish allowed over 25 inches).
The changes will apply from the JFK Causeway south to the Rio Grande River inshore, and also will apply to surf-fishing.
Robin Reichers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Director of Coastal Fisheries, told the commission the changes would result in a 27-percent increase in the spawning stock biomass over current limits, although it takes two years to accomplish those results.
“The changes would help keep fish in the water through the spawning season (late April through September),” he said.
TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith said the changes would begin when the Emergency Rule is filed with the Secretary of State, with a goal of filing the rule on April 1, giving the department time to issue press releases to notify anglers of the changes.
The commission expressed the desire to law enforcement that the changes initially be treated largely as educational, with warnings instead of citations until anglers become aware of the rule change.
The current statewide speckled trout regulations are a five fish daily bag limit and 15-25 inch slot limit with the ability to keep one fish over 25 inches long. The temporary Laguna Madre regulations will drop the daily bag to three fish and the slot limit to 17-23 inches. The Laguna Madre regulations will affect inshore waters South of the JFK Causeway, including adjacent beachfronts from Packery Channel, down to the Rio Grande.
"I agree with the staff recommendation,” said commissioner Jeanne Latimer during Wednesday's work session.
TPW Commission approves emergency rule
At its March 24 meeting, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved an Emergency Rule changing the speckled trout limits and size restrictions in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre.
The rule will provide for a three-fish limit (as opposed to the current five-fish limit) and size restrictions of 17-23 inches (as opposed to the current 15-25 inches, with one fish allowed over 25 inches).
The changes will apply from the JFK Causeway south to the Rio Grande River inshore, and also will apply to surf-fishing.
Robin Reichers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Director of Coastal Fisheries, told the commission the changes would result in a 27-percent increase in the spawning stock biomass over current limits, although it takes two years to accomplish those results.
“The changes would help keep fish in the water through the spawning season (late April through September),” he said.
TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith said the changes would begin when the Emergency Rule is filed with the Secretary of State, with a goal of filing the rule on April 1, giving the department time to issue press releases to notify anglers of the changes.
The commission expressed the desire to law enforcement that the changes initially be treated largely as educational, with warnings instead of citations until anglers become aware of the rule change.
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