Bill Authorizing Fish & Boat Commission To Set Own Fees

[Lkyboots]

I'm in the Northwest part of the State and all those streams with wild Trout are nonexistent. If it wasn't for stocked Trout there would be no Trout at all. I don't know the answer but there is a lot of Trout fishing done on these streams that wouldn't be done without stocking. No stocking sounds great if you have streams that hold Trout but it would be a disaster in this part of the state. I would have to drive a hour to get to a stream with native Trout and they're few and far between. If you cut stocking in my area you would be losing thousands of fisherman who wouldn't buy Trout stamps and possibly would not buy a license.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

I think the best short to mid-term solution is in balance. Stop stocking over confirmed wild trout populations, reduce the number of stocked trout, and stock put-and-take waters where trout do not reproduce.

The devil would be in the details (ie, what level of repro is the threshold for stocking, etc.).

 

[afishinado]

Lkyboots wrote:
I'm in the Northwest part of the State and all those streams with wild Trout are nonexistent. If it wasn't for stocked Trout there would be no Trout at all. I don't know the answer but there is a lot of Trout fishing done on these streams that wouldn't be done without stocking. No stocking sounds great if you have streams that hold Trout but it would be a disaster in this part of the state. I would have to drive a hour to get to a stream with native Trout and they're few and far between. If you cut stocking in my area you would be losing thousands of fisherman who wouldn't buy Trout stamps and possibly would not buy a license.

This thread deals with the funding proposal put forward in the PA Legislature.

But to answer your concerns, I've read every post in this thread and all other threads about stocking for that matter.

I have not seen anyone posting that stocking should be halted.

What I have read is stocking should be halted over wild trout.

If this is done, it would likely result in more stocked fish being available for streams without wild trout populations, like the streams in your area.

This would likely result in actually more anglers buying trout stamps.

 

[poopdeck]

Well, it first has to go through the Senate process. Subcommittee, then full vote. If it passes that it will be law and then the PAFBC sets the new fee structure, which then goes through public comment, commission reviews, submitted to committees and can still be shot down by the general assembly etc. etc. etc.

Could be a while.

Here's to hoping this dies a slow painful death. This is not the answer.

 

[PennKev]

Lkyboots wrote:
I'm in the Northwest part of the State and all those streams with wild Trout are nonexistent.

Lol.

With the exception of the counties and areas immediately bordering Ohio this is simply not true. There are plenty of wild trout streams as soon as you go east of I-79 and north of I-80.

There are definitely streams in the NW that could be removed from the stocking list and still be worth fishing.

 

[NickR]

Here’s an angle...how do we know what streams can support a wild fishery if we don’t first give them a shot.

Example: Class C stream with wild browns, stocked and managed as an ATW...how do we know this couldn’t reach class A biomass if it’s not given the chance to do so? How can you do a legit and honest fish count when you have harvest and stocking? System seems bunk to me.

Reign the stocking in. Seriously. Was just at Pequest Trout Hatchery in Jersey today. I heard when all those Jersey diseased fish from the hatchery couldn’t be stocked because of disease PFBC offfered to take them and stock them in PA tribs of the Delaware. Jersey Fish Commish refused. Apparently Jersey only stocks bows now? Logic prevails...even in Jersey????

 

[drossi]

Yes NJ has only stocked rainbows for the last 5 years or so. They had a disease outbreak at Pequest and terminated all the browns and brookies. They made a conscious decision not to stock them so as not to impact any remaining wild brookie or wild brown trout streams. Pretty progressive thinking for NJ! They'll continue to not stock brookies or browns until they are able to cover the raceways with ceilings as they think avian predators led to the spreading of the disease. (I think its a good excuse to raise only rainbows as they are rumored to be easier and cheaper to grow. )

 

[guidedbywire]

The Senate Game and Fisheries Committee voted unanimously yesterday to advance the legislation to enable the PFBC to set their own license rates.

 

[Fredrick]

guidedbywire wrote:
The Senate Game and Fisheries Committee voted unanimously yesterday to advance the legislation to enable the PFBC to set their own license rates.

What's the next step ?

 

[afishinado]

The bill now goes to the Senate which passed similar legislation on fees last session.

http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2019/04/house-passes-bill-authorizing-fish-boat.html

 

[guidedbywire]

There's also a Senate bill this session (SB 553) that includes the same or similar language re: fee-setting, which is being taken up by the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee this afternoon.

 

[PocketWater]

A lot of these agencies spend massive amounts of money on tax dollar funded pensions. We need to remove the pension option for any new classes. People are living to older and older ages.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

pocketwater, this has already been done.

https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvania-state-workers-pension-law-20181231-story.html