The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the regulations on the possession and sale of gizzard and threadfin shad collected from public waters, which would require persons who collect or possess shad in excess of certain limits to obtain a permit.

TPWD currently issues permits for the sale of nongame fishes taken from public waters, which includes gizzard and threadfin shad sold as live, frozen, or prepared bait. Some permittees also collect live shad from public reservoirs for sale or as part of management services provided to private pond owners to increase the abundance of prey fishes in a pond and improve the growth and size of fish such as largemouth bass.

Shad are also collected by private landowners to stock as prey in their private lakes. These persons are currently not required to obtain a permit because no sale is involved, but the proposed changes would require persons who use containers exceeding 82 quarts in volume for collection and possession of shad from public fresh waters to obtain a $60 permit to possess or sell nongame fish.

A permit would continue to be required if the shad collected are sold or exchanged for anything of value regardless of the container size used, but no permit would be required if the shad are used only as bait on the water body where they were collected, or if a licensed fishing guide possesses and furnishes the shad as bait to customers as part of the guide�s services.

Collection of shad, especially threadfin shad, has resulted in substantial quantities being harvested from some reservoirs in the state, according to Ken Kurzawski, TPWD Inland Fisheries Director of Information and Regulations. Although the impacts on fishes in the reservoirs where these activities occur appear to be minimal at this time, requiring a permit for activities that can result in substantial harvest will allow the department to more fully monitor these activities to ensure their sustainability.

The department is also proposing additional minor changes to the permits such as providing for up to eight persons to be named on a permit as assistants and incorporating procedures into the permit requirements for reducing the spread of invasive aquatic species such as zebra mussels.

Proposed rules are available for review in the Dec. 23, 2016 issue of the Texas Register.

Public comment may be made online; by phone or email to Ken Kurzawski at (512) 389-4591, ken.kurzawski@tpwd.texas.gov; or in person during the TPWD Commission meeting on Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. at 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744.

how many shad are "collected" by the thousands of cormorants which are protected for no reason whatsoever...

What about the Tilapia netters?

+1 all because they're a "migratory species"

Money is all you need to say it's about.

Neither species should be collected from public fisheries for sale to stock private waters. Period.

The spread of potentially extremely harmful pathogens (such as LMBHV, KHV, CCVD, ESC, and many others) is just one of many dangers involved in such activity.

Of concern is also the spread of undesirable exotic species found in these waters (ie. zebra mussels, hydrilla, hyacinth, salvinia, tilapia, etc.)

Of less, but still real, concern is the potential over-utilization of a public resource by private entities

These concerns are not an issue for these species if properly farm raised in a controlled environment.

Won't be long before we will need a license to breath. Yep without it you can no longer use air that belongs to the state. People will be running a hose pipe across the Red River and stealing Oklahoma air.

I generally agree with Fishbreeder that harvesting anything out of our lakes, excepting dinner table fare, well it opens up all sorts of odd biological possibilities. Kudzu, Johnson Grass, fire ants and other intruders come to mind.

No, this will NOT affect many, if any of us. If anyone is out there collecting shad for personal fishing purposes, as long as the amount is less than 82 quarts, no permits are required. 82 quarts? That is a common available size for larger coolers; so, I suppose that is the 'why' behind that particular number.

And, the use of a volume measurement is owing to the fact that putting a head count on individual shad swimming around is not practical, uncountable really so TPWD will go by container volume instead.

TPWD goes on to say that these new rules (there are several) will only affect 10 or so small businesses statewide.

I'm all in. I'd go a bit farther. Net a bunch of shad from a lake with tilapia and accidentally pick up a few, drop them in a private pond, a flood occurs, they end up in a south Texas lake? One year later, you'd have 10,000 tilapia.

Brad

IMO shad should not be taken from one lake and used for bait in another for the exact reasons you list.

It's about the money, and just another form of (fee) taxation.
If it would go toward stocking the lakes fine, but most likely it's to help pay for all those office workers and bonuses.
They have a hard time enforcing the laws already, and adding another makes no sense unless you look at the reason I stated above.

Jimbo, no, I don't think this one has to do with revenue collection. If they are correct and it only affects 10 or so small operations, I believe the fee is about $60, so 10 X 60 = $600.

I think this one has more to do with simple management of our resources, possibly issues related to the spread of disease, and so forth.

Generally, though, with most government agencies, I totally agree with your sentiment . . . that they are just looking for opportunities to regulate and tax.

Brad

I agree, this (so far) doesn't seem like a money grab at all.

How would you obtain this permit? Can I purchase this and other special lisence and permits at the same places I buy a hunting and fishing lisence? Or do I have to order by mail or online?

This seems to be an issue that is not that big of a deal. It is hard for me to envision any sport fisherman using anywhere near 82 quarts of shad at a time. I don't think many cat fisherman would be placed under a hardship due to this limit.

Just to clarify, the new rule would regulate the use of containers exceeding 82 quarts, not 82 quarts of shad.

"would require persons who use containers exceeding 82 quarts in volume for collection and possession of shad from public fresh waters to obtain a $60 permit to possess or sell nongame fish."