January proves to be an interesting month for recreational fishermen as you have opportunities to interact with state and federal regulators on possible changes. Please share this information with anyone you think might be interested.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has scheduled three public scoping meetings in January to gather input about possible regulation changes for 2013-14. The scoping items include incorporation of a rule regarding recreational possession limit, clarification of fish harassment rules, bonus red drum tag requirement changes and new possession rules in state waters for aquatic resources in excess of federal limits.
All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. and are set for:
Jan. 7 – Dickinson TPWD Regional Office, 1502 FM 517 East;
Jan. 9 – Corpus Christi on the TAMU CC campus, NRC #1003, 6300 Ocean Dr.;
Jan. 10 – San Antonio at Bass Pro Shops, 17907 W. IH 10.
If you are unable to attend one of these meetings and voice your opinions, your input can be given electronically at
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/public_comment/scoping/
or by email to Jeremy Leitz at jeremy.leitz@tpwd.state.tx.us , or in writing to Jeremy Leitz, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744.
The Gulf Council has scheduled scoping workshops around the Gulf of Mexico to get public input on a proposed amendment that examines regional management of recreational red snapper. Scoping workshops are the first and best opportunity for you to make suggestions or raise issues and concerns before the Council begins developing an amendment. Regional management of recreational red snapper would enable areas of the Gulf to propose management measures tailored to specific regions. This round of scoping workshops will address regional management issues, including locally optimal management measures, regional boundaries, allocation, and other components for the design of regional management proposals. Copies of the scoping document and other related materials can be obtained by calling 813-348-1630 or can be downloaded from the Council’s ftp site, ftp.gulfcouncil.org
Seven scoping workshops are scheduled around the Gulf. All workshops begin at 6pm and conclude at the end of public comment, but no later than 9pm. The two workshops in Texas are scheduled as follows:
January 14, 2013
Holiday Inn Express
2440 Gulf Freeway
Texas City, TX 77591
January 15, 2013
Hilton Garden Inn
6717 S. Padre Island Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
Rhonda D. Cummins, MMR
Calhoun County Extension Agent – Coastal & Marine Resources Texas Sea Grant │ Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
p: 361-552-9747 f: 361-552-6727 │ rcummins@tamu.edu
186 County Road 101, Ste. 1, Port Lavaca, TX 77979
http://calhoun.agrilife.org │ http://texasseagrant.org
