Michigan United Conservation Clubs needs your help to ensure that game fish are not allowed for commercial harvest and that more stringent regulations are placed on commercial anglers.
Senate Bill 0925 was introduced by Senator Michael Green (R-Mayville) on April 10 and was referred to the Senate Committee on Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. The bill will likely be up for information June 6 at 12:30.
SB 0925 does five vital things for Michigan’s sport fishery:
- Lists all game fish (except black crappie) under Part 487— not allowing them to be caught under commercial harvest.
- Establishes requirements for GPS locations of nets when lowered or lifted and creates a website to monitor that.
- Includes a variety of improvements on reporting and daily record keeping.
- Allows an issued permit to specify when gear can be in the water and when it has to be lifted.
- Every three years the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will conduct a by-catch study, and using that, invested parties will be able to better understand the effects of commercial fishing on the entirety of the fishery.
One point that MUCC will continue to work on is creating more of a balance in terms of sportfishing and commercial fishing interests on the Commercial Fishery Advisory Group. As it stands, commercial fishing proponents hold a majority within the group.
MUCC urges you to call or email the committee members and voice your support for our state’s vital sport fishery, and we would like to thank Senator Green for his leadership on this issue
Continue to check back with Michigan United Conservation Clubs to find out when the committee meeting is officially posted.
Committee members include (Click on their name to receive additional contact information):
Senator Goeff Hansen (R) Committee Chair, 34th District: (517) 373-1635
Senator Dale Zorn (R) Vice Chair, 17th District: (517) 373-3543
Senator Wayne A.Schmidt (R) 37th District: (517) 373-2413
Senator Morris W Hood III (D) 3rd District: (517) 373-0990
Bill sponsor Senator Mike Green (R) 31st District: (517) 373-1777 (please thank him for his support and for spearheading the legislation)