New Regs for commercial fishing pending

[GLF]

SANDUSKY, OHIO'S Three changes to the way Ohio's commercial fishermen operate on Lake Erie are being considered by the Ohio Wildlife Council, according the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife.

The Division of Wildlife is proposing three new commercial fishing regulations in an effort to tighten the rules for Ohio's commercial fishing industry. The new rules are needed in light of an ongoing investigation of some of Ohio's commercial fishing fleet. The current case is considered the biggest criminal case in the history of the Division of Wildlife, and involves the illegal netting and selling of 40 tons of yellow perch (equal to 6,133 daily sport fishing bag limits).

The first change in regulations will prohibit commercial fishermen from having yellow perch on their boat from the Central and Western basins of Lake Erie at the same time.

The second change will require all commercial fishing vessels to notify the Division of Wildlife at least 30 minutes prior to docking with the fish they have netted. A voice mail system will be set up to collect information, such as the location of the dock where their fish will be unloaded, the name and number of the trap net boat, their license number, the weight of each harvested species, and the estimated time of arrival of the boat at the dock.

Under current regulations, commercial fishermen must display flags on their nets. The third new regulation will require different colors to be displayed according to whether the commercial fishermen are operating in the Western or Central basin.

The agency is proposing the new rules go into effect May 1.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor indicted 14 individuals and five businesses over the past year on charges of engaging in money laundering, theft, and receiving stolen property related to commercial fishing. Several individuals and commercial fishing companies have plead guilty in Cuyahoga County Court and received fines totaling $187,000. An investigation of yellow perch involving additional commercial fishermen and companies is still open in Lorain and Erie counties.

Commercial fishermen are required to keep accurate and legible catch reports and to stay within their licensed yellow perch quota in a given year. Safe harvest levels of yellow perch are determined by fisheries biologists to maintain healthy fish populations and provide quality fishing opportunities on Lake Erie.