Freshwater Fishing - Subchapter F of Chapter 2 Fishing Regulation of Title 16 Natural Resources and Recreation

TITLE 16 14 No coconut crabs shall be taken, while they are carrying eggs. Evidence of removal of eggs (orange to brown colored mass attached under tail) shall be considered prima facie evidence of violation of this Section of the Regulation. Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked. Any sub-legal crab injured due to attempted harvest will be viewed as take. (b) Shells of coconut crabs taken for personal use shall not be sold, traded or bartered. (c) Bag Limit. For personal use purposes, each person is allowed no more than ten (10) individual coconut crabs per day. Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked or frozen. SUBCHAPTER F. Freshwater Fishing. Section 15315.0. Commercial Harvest of Freshwater Gamefish. Section 15315.1. Taking of Freshwater Fauna for Personal Use. Section 15315. Commercial Harvest of Freshwater Fauna. The commercial harvest of freshwater fauna is prohibited. This does not include cultivated freshwater fauna from aquaculture facilities. Section 15315.1. Taking of Freshwater Fauna for Personal Use. (a) Bag Limit. No more than four (4) peacock bass (Tucunare) may be taken into possession per day. No peacock bass less than ten (10) inches in length may be taken. Peacock bass must be kept whole until cooked or frozen and may not be impaled. Tilapia, catfish, prawns and freshwater eels are considered non-game fish and can be harvested without limit all year. (b) Gear. (1) Take of peacock bass shall be limited to hook and line fishing techniques, includes, but is not limited to, use of fishing rods and poles. It shall be unlawful to puncture, impale or spear any peacock bass. Any peacock bass which does not meet the minimum size requirements must be released immediately. If undersized gamefish are hooked in such a way that the hook can not be removed without killing the fish, the line must be cut as close to the hook as is possible and the fish released. Any peacock bass in confinement will be considered taken and subject to harvest regulations. Upon take, peacock bass are not to be impaled for confinement, stringers are prohibited. (2) Except as authorized herein, the use of nets is prohibited in take of any freshwater fauna. A landing net with a handle may be used to net a fish already hooked while fishing. The diameter of the opening on the landing net shall not exceed two (2) feet or four (4) square feet. A handled dip net with a handle and opening not to exceed one (1) foot in diameter or one (1) square foot may be used to take up to one hundred (100) freshwater animals less than three (3) inches in length (non-gamefish) per day, TITLE 16 15 (3) Capture of peacock bass by traps is prohibited. Traps may be used to take non gamefish, but must not be left unattended more than twelve (12) hours, nor exceed a volume of twenty (20) cubic feet in size. Any peacock bass caught in traps must be released. The use of traps requires a valid fishing license. (4) Peacock bass can only be taken by a single, hand-held hook and line per fisherman, Multiple-line fishing for gamefish is prohibited. Only one (1) baited hook per line or one (1) artificial lure, which may have up to three (3) barbs originating at a common shaft, may be used. (5) All fishing gear other than traps must be attended to at all times. SUBCHAPTER G Penalty Section 15316.0 Penalty. Volations of these regulations are punishable under the provisions of Section 63129, 5 GCA SUBCHAPTER H. Implementation. Section 15317.0. Time frame and Implementation. Effective Date. (a) These regulations shall go into effect immediately. Subchapter B, Marine Preserves shall not go into effect until April 1, 1999. The Department of Agriculture will develop and implement a village program to educated the public during the first year of the operation of the Marine Preserves. The Department of Agriculture shall create and place at the appropriate locations, signs designed to define the locations and restrictions of the Marine Preserves. (b). During the six months following the enactment, the Director shall issue only written warnings to first offenders who violate the provisions of the regulations regarding Marine Preserves (only Subchapter B). The Director shall record the names and the addresses of the first offenders. Persons who commit a second offense during the six (6) month period shall be subject to the penalties allowed as described herein. (c) When the six (6) month period described above ends, the Director and other law enforcement officials shall enforce the law as mandated herein.