FISHING REGULATIONS TO BE SET AT TFWC FINAL 2014 MEETING

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will establish the 2015-16 sport fish regulations during its final meeting of 2014 which is set for Friday, Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. The one-day meeting is a change from the regular two-day format and will be held in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Ray Bell Region II Building.

            The TFWC, which normally establishes the annual fishing regulations at its October meeting, postponed decisions on the 2015-16 sport fish regulations until this scheduled meeting. Changes in the sport fish proclamation will be presented to the commission for discussion and approval. This will include discussion on the amendment to change the smallmouth bass size limit on Douglas Lake from 20 inches (with a creel limit of one) to 16 inches (with a combined creel limit of five).

            Fisheries Division Chief Bobby Wilson will also give an overview of TWRA stocking program. This will include historical reasons on why the agency stocks, where stocking is conducted and the number of fish stocked, plus the cost of the stocking per species.

Don Keller and Barry Smith from the American Sport Fish Hatchery in Montgomery, Ala. will make a guest presentation. It will be centered on stocking Florida bass, in particular the F1 Florida bass, in waters across the county.

            Chuck Yoest, TWRA’s Deer Program Coordinator, will be giving an update on the status of Chronic Waste Disease (CWD) as well as efforts being undertaken by the TWRA to keep the disease from entering the state. Also, a brief discussion will be held on Tennessee’s wild hog management program and how it is being looked at as a model at the national level.

            The premiere episode of the new TV program, Tennessee Uncharted will be shown. The episode features the Tennessee Outdoor Youth Summit (TOYS).

A new tool for birders has been developed by TWRA and the Tennessee Ornithological Society to compliment the Watchable Wildlife website. A demonstration of the birding site, along with information on the web analytics of the Watchable Wildlife website will be provided.

            There will be a presentation by John F. McFadden, of the Tennessee Environmental Council, on the Tennessee Tree Project. This program has in part been funded through the TWRA’s Ecological Services Division. The Tennessee Environmental Council has received grants for the past seven years to carry out riparian buffer reforestation work throughout Tennessee.

            The public is invited to attend the meeting. The first meeting of 2015 will be held Jan. 15-16 in Union City at the Discovery Park of America.