May 4, 2003 7 min read

Approval of a formal position statement on issues related to a potential merger of the Fish and Boat Commission and the Pennsylvania Game Commission was a highlight of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s quarterly meeting. The PFBC urged those studying a potential merger of the agency with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to recognize the many tangible and intangible values of maintaining separate fish and wildlife agencies in the Commonwealth and to focus efforts on identifying suitable funding sources for the agencies’ respective programs.

In other actions, the Commission is soliciting angler feedback input on potential changes to the traditional opening day of trout season and options for new special regulations that could enhance wild brook trout. The Commission also decided to seek public input on a proposed change in the size limits on Lake Erie walleye and took other regulatory and administrative actions.

After a discussion at the Executive, Planning and Human Resources Committee meeting, the Commission approved a formal position statement regarding the proposed merger of the Fish and Boat and Game Commissions, currently being studied under House Resolution 15. The House resolution calls upon the House Game & Fisheries Committee to examine the feasibility, impact, costs and savings of merging the PFBC and PGC. H.R. 15 also calls for an examination of alternative funding mechanisms for the agencies. It asks the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to update its 1989 report on a potential merger of the agencies. Recommendations are to be issued no later than November 30, 2003.

The Commissioners adopted a formal position statement that reads:

1. The Fish and Boat Commission directs the Executive Director and the staff to continue to cooperate fully with the House Game and Fisheries Committee and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in their examination of issues related to possible merger of the Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission. The Commissioners commend the staff for their efforts to pull together complete, accurate and up-to-date information for the Committees.

2. The Commission urges the House Game and Fisheries Committee and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to carefully consider:

a. the many intangible and unquantifiable benefits of having separate independent Fish and Boat and Game Commissions, including the fact that separate Commissions can better respond to the interests and desires of the boaters and anglers and better protect and manage our fish and wildlife resources;

b. the fact that a bigger bureaucracy is not necessarily a better bureaucracy;

c. the fact the personnel and services provided by the Fish and Boat Commission do not duplicate those provided by the Game Commission because our personnel and services are dedicated to meeting the special needs of Pennsylvania boaters and anglers and the resources they treasure;

d. the fact that merging the Fish and Boat and Game Commissions into an executive agency such as DCNR would further dilute the focus on Pennsylvania’s aquatic and wildlife resources.

3. The Commission urges the House Game and Fisheries Committee and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to pay particular attention to issues related to providing adequate future funding for Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission. The Committee’s study of future funding trends and investigation of various funding options to provide Pennsylvania’s wildlife agencies with adequate funding is an extremely important component of the process described in House Resolution 15.

4. The Commission urges the anglers and boaters of Pennsylvania to let their views be known on the important issue of how combining the Fish and Boat and Game Commissions and changing their status may impact on resources and programs that are, in many respects, the envy of the nation.

5. The Commission is long on record as supporting separate independent Fish and Boat and Game Commissions because we believe this structure provides the greatest benefits to the anglers and boaters of Pennsylvania and the resources under our jurisdiction.

In other actions, the Commission decided to seek public comment on possible future changes to the way opening day of trout season is scheduled.

The Commission intends to seek angler comments on the current approach to opening day and alternatives. One possible alternative is a regulation that would begin the trout season for parts of southeastern Pennsylvania the first Saturday in April while holding the opening day for the rest of the state until the third Saturday in April. In seeking public comment, the Commissioners emphasized a desire to consider a variety of alternatives, including maintaining a single opening day, keeping the opening day as is, and moving a single opening day to another Saturday in April.

The Commission also directed the staff to seek public comment on various options for special regulations aimed at enhancing wild brook trout populations. One possible technique could be to regulate select waters and their tributaries for catch-and-release fishing only for all wild brook trout. Such an approach would allow for year-round brook trout fishing. The Commission is asking for angler input on that approach with no special tackle restrictions and/or an artificial lures only (including flies) approach.

A second approach could be to establish a seven-inch maximum size limit on wild brook trout. Fishing could be permitted year-round – again with either an artificial lures only (including flies) caveat or with no special tackle restrictions. As many as five wild brook trout could be creeled per day from opening day through Labor Day, with no harvest allowed the remainder of the year if this option were pursued. Such regulations would allow anglers the opportunity to harvest some wild brook trout while protecting larger, older brook trout.

The potential changes to trout fishing regulations are being explored as follow-up to the special Trout Summit sponsored by the Commission last September. The Commission intends to hold at least one public information meeting on the potential for new trout fishing regulations prior to the July Commission meeting. Anglers are also encouraged to submit written comments, objections or suggestions about the proposed statement of policy to the Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000. Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted.

The Commission also approved publication of proposed rulemaking that would, if finally adopted at a later time, would raise the minimum size limit on walleye in Lake Erie from the current 15 inches to 20 inches.

The Commission approved regulations to clarify the process by which streams are classified as wild trout streams, and it adopted a reduction in the number of commercial trap net licenses available for Lake Erie.

The Commission approved proposed rulemaking to seek public comment on regulations making it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, purchase, possess, introduce, import or transport black carp, silver carp, bighead carp, zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby and tubenose goby in Pennsylvania.

In other actions, the Commission approved final rulemaking on regulations to help implement Act 199 of 2002, the new mandatory boating education program. On final rulemaking, the Commission clarified the requirements for boating safety certificates for non-residents of Pennsylvania.

The Commission also approved seeking public comment on a change to regulations on fire extinguishers for boats. The Commission is seeking comment on a proposal that would require fire extinguishers to be carried on all boats powered by internal combustion motors. This proposed change would clarify existing requirements.