Pennsylvania Outdoor News | Commission Finalizes Fisheries Management Plan for Inland

HARRISBURG, Pa. – After reviewing more than 30 public comments and incorporating various suggestions, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has finalized its fisheries management plan for inland walleye and has placed the plan on its website for public use.
"The plan describes the history of walleye fish management, identifies the factors affecting the biological health of walleye, prioritizes the future needs relative to fisheries management, and outlines our future plans," said Dave Miko, chief of the Division of Fisheries Management. "Part of the process of developing the plan involves soliciting public input. We appreciate anglers taking the time to review the plan and to provide their comments." The 73-page plan is available online at: http://fishandboat.com/walleyeplan.htm. An Executive Summary highlights the plan’s four priorities:

Determine the levels of walleye natural reproduction in major river sections that were formerly stocked with walleye;
Assess "last chance" waters and decide if the waters should remain in the stocking programs. These are waters which have not yet yielded catches that meet the minimum standards in the plan.
Update existing infrastructure and fish culture techniques to increase walleye fingerling production to exceed two million per year; and
Perform creel surveys and angler opinion surveys to determine how definitions of high-quality walleye fisheries conform to anglers’ experiences and opinions.
The Chapter 1 Introduction discusses the plan's purpose, goal, and objective. Chapter 2 provides a history of walleye management. Chapter 3 discusses walleye management in flowing waters, and Chapter 4 outlines management in lakes and reservoirs. A summary of the public comments is also provided on the site.


News Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission - Dec. 19, 2011