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Posts: 51
| I received this e-mail today
Am passing it on for your assistance
Please DO contact your legislators ASAP
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Hello anglers,
Below are the members of the conference committee that will decide what is on this year’s omnibus game and fish bill. I think they’ll start meeting as soon as today. There are three items we need removed from the bill
Please contact them immediately with your thoughts.
Below that, for your reference, I’ve copied the letter that the MMPA sent them. It will explain these issues.
Thanks,
Aaron
House of Representatives
Rick Hansen
651-296-6828
E-mail: [email protected]
Jamie Becker-Finn
651-296-7153
E-mail: [email protected]
Peter Fischer
651-296-5363
E-mail: [email protected]
John Persell
651-296-5516
E-mail: [email protected]
Nathan Nelson
651-296-0518
E-mail: [email protected]
State Senate Members
Carrie Ruud
651-296-4913
[email protected]
Bill Ingebrigtsen
651-297-8063
[email protected]
Justin D. Eichorn
651-296-7079
Mark Johnson
651-296-5782
David J. Tomassoni
651-296-8017
Our thoughts on the issues....
To: Environment and Natural Resources Conference Committee:
The Minnesota Muskie and Pike Alliance would like to bring these issues to your attention.
Reinvest in Fish Hatcheries Citizen-Legislative Advisory Group" Bill (aka "Fish Hatcheries" Bill)
This proposed legislation duplicates the work of the Budget Oversight Committee and the Fisheries Oversight Committee. Both of these committees were created under statute to address what this legislation is implying it would do. Duplicity is not an efficient use of taxpayer resources. In fact, the Fisheries Oversight Committee found that this legislation would be improper use of Game and Fish funds. Further, Fisheries staff already know where hatcheries need operational improvements. We feel these funds could be used to actually implement those changes, or to address other impactful issues like Angler Retention and Recruitment and access to public water. We do not support this proposal for those reasons.
Wright County Program Boat Decontamination Station
This program was halted by the MN DNR Commissioner for numerous important reasons. It has proven to be very expensive, poorly operated, and ineffective. Doing reverse decontamination is illogical and provides no greater protection, as was shown with the discovery of Starry Stonewort in August of last year on one of the pilot lakes. These funds can be more appropriately used to provide more inspections at boat accesses of lakes with AIS. This program was poor use of tax dollars and skirts the edges of our constitutional rights to fish. We do not support this legislation.
Two-Line Angling Legislation.
Although we are neutral on the idea of the Two Line, we see many problems with this legislation. The amount of $5.00 is not sufficient; it barely covers the cost of the endorsement through the licensing system. The funding designation to only walleyes fails to address the issues of additional harvest of other fish species that will bear the burden of this legislation The money could/should be used for all fisheries, not just to buy additional walleyes. The benefit of the latter being to the private aquaculture industry selling walleyes. Please note, on the vast majority of angling trips, catch rate is the determining factor of harvest rate. Most outings do not result in a legal limit being caught and kept. Increasing catch rates by increasing the number of lines being used will significantly increase overall harvest rates. There was a realization in the Senate Finance Committee that this legislation is more complicated than it would appear. They recognized that increasing the fee and lowering fish bag limits would be necessary. The public does not favor either of those possibilities. We would recommend initiating the DNR to assess the viability and bring it back to their Citizens Fisheries Work Groups and Roundtable. Something as big as this requires additional investigation.
Thank You for your consideration on these matters.
John Underhill
Aaron Meyer
Co-Chairmen Minnesota Muskie and Pike Alliance
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Posts: 2327
Location: Chisholm, MN | Sent. Thank you for keeping us updated. | |
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Extremely important Minnesota needs your help