New DEC Trout Management Proposal

[left field]

The DEC is proposing reclassifying trout streams, changing harvest limits, extending stocking and opening up trout fishing year round. There are some drastic changes in this proposal and unfortunately nothing that addresses stream rehabilitation or declining wild trout populations. 

They are asking for feedback and NY TU as well as NYC TU are drafting a response.

Read proposal here:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/dfmptroutstream.pdf

Edited June 16, 2020 by left field

[left field]

Today is the last day for comments. The plan seems more skewed to making fishing easier than protecting or promoting wild fish.  

From the CFFM today:

Make Your Voice Heard Today

Management decisions weigh heavily on the character of our Catskills fisheries. The New York State DEC has published a Draft Inland Trout Stream Management Plan with a public comment period ending today, June 25th. If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the plan (link below).

The plan classifies all streams as one of multiple subcategories of either “wild” or “stocked”; categories that will dictate management approaches for each. Another significant change proposed in this plan would augment every trout stream’s season with a winter catch and release season, allowing every stream in the state to be fished year-round. The off season has traditionally been designed to protect the active spawning habitat that facilitates wild reproduction; many anglers are concerned that this year-round traffic could negatively impact wild fisheries. Take a look to see if your favorite trout stream is designated to your liking, and if you’ve got feelings about the prospects and potential consequences of year-round trout fishing, do let the DEC know what you think. They are actively asking for input, and they very much consider us their constituency. Your input is meaningful.

You can email your thoughts to [email protected] or click the link below to read more:

[The_Real_TCIII]

Thanks for posting this. IMHO they need to have more stream specific regs. Streams that remain cold and can sustain wild fish/holdovers should have stricter C&R rules.  I know there are some that do but I can think of several streams near me that get a ton of stockers and cant hold them even through June. Others have a mix of wild and stocked fish that can be sustained and a couple that are wild. I dont see anything in here about the Scoby Hill dam project, theyre going to let steelhead up into the Cattaraugus system to wreak havoc on the wild trout population

 

http://www.springvilletimes.com/21/angling-for-a-better-creek-dec-evaluating-response-to-upper-cattaraugus-creek-proposal/

[left field]

We have proposed similar thoughts about specific watersheds in Region 3&4.

Personally, I would:

• classifying entire watersheds versus reaches of rivers
• initiating a Trout Stamp with funds allocated to rehabilitation
• C&R of all Brook Trout, the state fish since '75, until the number rebound
• C&R of all wild fish on anything less than a Wild Premier river

I would also advocate ceasing all trout stocking except for locked ponds and lakes, but I doubt that would meet with many fans. The gold standard for this is Montana who stopped stocking rivers in the '70s and saw a huge increase in wild fish populations. Different environments, but still.

Last night I listened to a geneticist talk about Brook Trout and he said that their research has shown that stocked fish contribute little to nothing to the genetic pool of wild fish. All they seem to do is compete with wild fish for resources.  

[The_Real_TCIII]

So I didn’t read down nearly far enough as there are new stream specific bag limits which I like. However they cut the East Koy to three which I’ll never understand. It gets 8,000 fish and they do not holdover well at all, let em get et!


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