MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2009

Transcription

1 MS 43 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2009 Report For Project 0009: Freshwater Commercial Fishery Coordination Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 259 Project Leader: Garry Lucas Sections: PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY: First Paddlefish Roe Season Harvest COMMERCIAL FISHERY HARVEST SURVEY: First Survey of Commercial Fishers NON-GAME GROSS FISH SURVEY DATA

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3 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2009 Abstract This report documents data collected during Fiscal Year 2009 associated with MDWFP Project 09, Freshwater Commercial Fishery Coordination. The report is presented in 3 components: Summary of the season for the paddlefish fishery, Documentation of the harvest reported by respondents to the Commercial Fishery Harvest Survey., and Summary of the Non-game gross fish survey. During Fiscal Year 2009, 680 persons purchased inland commercial fishing licenses, permits or tags. Statistics on Commercial Fishery for Paddlefish: Participants 3 persons had Harvester Permits ($,000 each) One person had a Processor Permit ($2,000 each) Catch - 55 paddlefish were caught; 26 were harvested and 29 released. Of the 26 harvested paddlefish, 3 were females with 73 lbs. of eggs (raw wt.). Product - 94% of the processed roe was sold as a product packaged for retail sale identified as originating from Mississippi. The paddlefish flesh went to private consumption and none was marketed. Statistics on Survey of Inland Commercial Fishery for Participants (FY2008): 75 60% indicated they did not get a license for monetary benefit. Survey returns % usable return rate Harvest by respondents to survey for past year, 2008 Buffalo ½ million pounds; Blue & channel Catfish 70,000+ pounds; Flathead 50,000+ pounds; Common carp -70,000 pounds; Asian carp - 60,000+ pounds Freshwater Drum -,000 pounds; Gar- 4,000 pounds; Other species harvested eel, bowfin, shad, and minnows Non-Game Gross Fish Survey: During FY2008 and FY stationary gill net sets were set in 4 water bodies, that caught 206 fish of 24 species. Length Frequency distributions for paddlefish, buffalo (species combined), and catfish (species combined) are presented i

4 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2009 Table of Contents FY2009 License Sales Summary... I. Paddlefish Commercial Fishery... 2 II. Commercial Fishery Harvest Survey... 7 III. Non-Game Gross Fish Stock Survey Data... 3 Literature Cited... 6 APPENDICES... 7 A. Commercial Fishing Harvest Survey Packet Introductory Flyer Survey Form Harvest report Form B. Guide to Commercial Paddlefish Harvest C. Paddlefish Harvest Report Guide and Harvest Forms Paddlefish Sale Transaction Form Paddlefish Processor Report Form D. Law Enforcement Information Packets Meeting Handout; August 2008 multi-district meetings Paddlefish Enforcement Flow Chart E. Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report F. Public Notice F-3798 Paddlefish harvest Season ii

5 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2009 Project Leader: Garry Lucas During Fiscal Year 2009, 680 persons purchased inland commercial fishing licenses, permits or tags: MDWFP sold 649 resident inland commercial fishing licenses, 24 nonresident licenses, and 7 of 8 Louisianans who purchased reciprocal gear tags (53 purchased) did not purchase a Mississippi commercial license. During FY2009, 522 persons purchased 3,72 gear tags while 07 persons purchased 255 slat box licenses and 3 persons purchased 4 paddlefish permits.,900 NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY (By Fiscal Year),700,500,300, The Fishery Management Plan for the Mississippi Inland Commercial Fishery has a discussion of commercial fishing license trends related to changes in license structure and license prices (MDWFP, 2009). 3

6 This report documents activities associated with the management of Mississippi s inland commercial fishery for non-game gross fish (rough fish) and non-native fishes during Fiscal Year 2009 (July 2008 to June 2009). The report is organized into 3 parts. The first part discusses the season for paddlefish roe harvest. The next section documents findings from the first harvest survey of commercial fishing license holders. The last section discusses effort to survey the non-game gross fish populations of northwest Mississippi. PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks closed the state to commercial harvest of paddlefish in April The fishery was re-opened in December 2008 on border waters shared with Arkansas. The fishery was opened with strict regulations that possibly make the Mississippi commercial paddlefish fishery one of the most tightly regulated fisheries, anywhere. The regulations for the paddlefish fishery are found in Public Notice 3798 (Appendix F). Statistics on Commercial Fishery for Paddlefish: Participants 3 persons had Harvester Permits ($,000 each) One person had a Processor Permit ($2,000 each) Catch - 55 paddlefish were caught; 26 were harvested and 29 released. Eight (8) of the released fish were less than 34 EFL (eye to fork length), and 8 were legal size. Of the 26 harvested paddlefish, 3 were females with 73 lbs. of eggs (raw wt.). The length of the harvested paddlefish (both male & female) were 34 to 45 inches (EFL). Product - 94% of the processed roe was sold as a product packaged for retail sale identified as originating from Mississippi, although mostly in 3 or 5 pound lots. The paddlefish flesh went to private consumption and none was marketed. Background Paddlefish are a valuable commercial species being sought not only for its meat, but the eggs are processed into caviar. Paddlefish caviar retails for $260 to-$346 per pound (Spring 2009 prices). The 2003 closure by the USFWS of the importation of beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea caused an increase in demand for paddlefish roe that caused an increase in dockside prices for paddlefish egg. Paddlefish eggs have even been found substituted for sturgeon eggs as product labeled as valuable sturgeon caviar (River Crossings, Vol. 9 #3, May-June 2000, and Vol. 2 #, Jan-Feb 2003). Mississippi saw an increase in fishing for paddlefish by out-of-state persons from 2004 to Prior to 2007, Mississippi played a role in the caviar market as paddlefish were then harvested in September and October for their eggs. It is believed that these eggs were accepted as a low-grade caviar for the 4

7 lucrative December holiday trade and cruise ship trade, but there was no mechanism in place to document the disposition of the eggs. Paddlefish populations are sensitive to fishing mortality because of their longevity, late age at first maturity, and relatively low maximum fecundity values (Boreman 997). Anonymous information indicated substantial harvest of paddlefish for their eggs by out-of-state persons in Delta waters such as Lakes George, McIntyre, Wolf, and Six Mile. Fishery researchers saw many paddlefish when working in Delta lakes, but encountered few to no paddlefish in those waters after those lakes were targeted for paddlefish by commercial fishermen. Public Notice F4-2999, effective April 2007, closed the season for the commercial harvest of paddlefish History Of Mississippi Paddlefish Regulations Prior to inch length limit (32 inch total length) inch length limit (TL) 988 closed season, January April (Nov. April on Pascagoula River system ) 994 closed season Nov. April; Statewide 2007 No Open Season for Paddlefish Harvest 2008 Open Season Dec to March 2009 to harvesters with special permits on border waters with Arkansas. Harvest was restricted to fish greater than 34 inches (EFL) to match length limit eatablised by Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. In 2007 Mississippi began the process to open the paddlefish fishery to sustainable harvest. The aspiration for the fishery Give Mississippians opportunity to benefit from lucrative caviar trade, and use that as a stepping stone to enhance commercial fishing industry Develop Mississippi product(s) produced from a sustainable paddlefish population In 2007 MDWFP met with wildlife agency officials with Tennessee and Arkansas to review those states regulations and to discuss options for equivalent regulations on border waters. The MDWFP decided to not open the fishery in winter of 2007, as the proposed regulations, if adopted at that time, would only be class III violations ($25.00-$00.00 fine) that would not be a suitable deterrent to illegal harvest. The 2008 Legislature changed Statute to give MDWFP the authority needed to manage paddlefish harvest. The Statute made any violations of laws or agency regulations, concerning paddlefish a Class I violation ($2, $5, fine, 5 days in jail and loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for a period of not less than one year). The components of Statute established in 2008 Violations of laws or regulations concerning paddlefish are Class I offence 5

8 Commission may establish permits concerning harvest of paddlefish Must have commercial fishing license to sell non-native fish Persons with commercial fishing license are to report harvest Public Notice F-3798, that became effective September 2008 opened border waters with Arkansas to the harvest of paddlefish and paddlefish roe (Appendix F). Key elements of the regulations in PN F-3798 are Harvesters must have special permit to harvest paddlefish; cost of permit $,000 Harvesters and processors must attend a mandatory meeting on paddlefish season. Season December 2008-March 2009 Harvested paddlefish must be at least 34 EF length. (The MDWFP goal is to have a 38 inch length limit that research indicates will protect 30% of spawning size females. To try to have consistent regulations in border waters Mississippi harvesters would abide by the lesser length length between the two states, which was 34 inches per Arkansas regulations.) Harvested paddlefish must be tagged Eggs must remain within fish till fish reach processing facility of permitted buyer; cost of processor permit $2,000, buyer permit $5,000 Sale of paddlefish must be reported within 24 hours Once the regulations were assumed, Fisheries Bureau staff took actions to inform the public, commercial licensed persons, and conservation officers of the regulations. The MDWFP web page had a link to the Public Notice through an icon in the Hot Topics recent news section. Persons holding a commercial fishing license were informed by the flyer included with the commercial fishing harvest survey packet, and by a link to a Guide to Commercial Paddlefish Harvest as part of the commercial fishing digest link on the MDWFP web page. The commercial fishing brochure also had an icon in the Hot Topics section. (The flyer and Guide are found in Appendix A and B, respectively). Conservation Officers were notified of the regulations by a handout included with a information booklet given to them at meetings held on August 22, 2008 for officers in the northern ½ of the state and on August 29 for officers in the southern half. Also a more precise guide was made for use by officers and their supervisors, that was distributed to officers who would possibly have a direct involvement in the enforcement of paddlefish regulations. (The handout and Law Enforcement Guide are included as Appendix D) Persons seeking to obtain paddlefish permits had to apply for permits through the POS license system. The applications were available October to October 5, 2008 at any license agent; cost for the application was $5.00 plus applicable transaction fees. Those applying for permits were screened to ascertain if they had any previous violations of paddlefish 6

9 regulations within the last five years. Such violation would preclude them from being qualified to purchase a paddlefish permit. Persons seeking to obtain paddlefish permits were required to attend a mandatory meeting. That meeting was held November 2, 2008 at the North West Mississippi Fish Hatchery. At that meeting paddlefish harvesters and roe buyers were able to meet. The regulations were explained to the attendees along with how to fill out the Paddlefish Sale Transaction Form to document harvest of paddlefish. An instruction manual on filling out the forms was distributed those attending the meeting. The instruction manual also discussed the rules and regulations concerning fishing for and harvesting paddlefish. Three paddlefish harvesters and one buyer (processor) participated in the fishery. The fishery got off to a rough start as the buyer could not get his processing facility operational and permitted (by Health Dept.) till January 0, The regulations required harvesters to take their catch to a permitted buyer, so they could not fish till the buyer got established. Since the buyer s facility was located in Horn Lake, Mississippi, the paddlefish were harvested from the Mississippi River and adjacent lakes in DeSoto and Tunica Counties. Paddlefish CPUE of Paddlefish Harvester Permit holders for the paddlefish season: Total Catch rate for all paddlefish = 0.64 paddlefish per net set Catch rate for legal size paddlefish = 0.26 Catch rate for undersize paddlefish= 0.38 Catch rate for harvested paddlefish= 0.6 After the season was over those who participated were sent a letter asking them what changes they would like to see in the regulations for the upcoming season. Adopt a resident dealer/processer permit 2 -Reciprocal agreement with Arkansas should only be within the main channel banks of the Mississippi River. 3 - Limit the harvest of meat 4 -Have an unattended net law 5 - Have mandatory educational programs 6 -Have a shovelnose sturgeon season 7 - Ban the harvest of large catfish by commercial fishermen 8 Do not let out-of state persons to fish for paddlefish in Mississippi 9 Adopt Arkansas regulation in regards to removing eggs while on the water 0 Reduce permit fees. Open interior waters to summer/meat harvest 7

10 Comments were also received concerning paddlefish regulations from 0 persons responding to the Commercial Fishing Harvest Survey. Additional comments from those respondents -. Make paddlefish regulations fair Fees are expensive and discriminatory (5) 2. Open Mississippi to non-residents: That would increase license sales 3. Reduce length limit to bordering waters limit 4. Allow a 24 inch block out rule 5. Allow more time to apply for permits so persons can prepare nets 6. Eliminate 00 yard rule between nets 7. Go back to paddlefish regulations in effect prior to Permit harvest of paddlefish caught during the summer that do not survive nets (3) 9. Permit harvest of paddlefish statewide 0. Permit sale of paddlefish outside of range of where season is open. Allow person to keep one paddlefish per day for personal consumption Length Frequency of Paddlefish Harvested during Season EFL Length (/2 in. increments) 8

11 COMMERCIAL FISHERY HARVEST SURVEY During the 2008 Mississippi Legislative session, Statute was amended to require that persons with freshwater commercial fishing licenses report their harvest of nongame gross fish A harvest survey was sent to each of the 75 persons who purchased a commercial fishing license during FY2008. Each license holder was sent a packet that contained a notice letter, commercial fishing survey form, harvest report form and an addressed envelope to return the forms. The notice letter stated the requirement to report harvest, highlighted recent changes to commercial fishing regulations, and notified recipients of upcoming paddlefish season and how to apply for paddlefish permits. The survey form had questions that elicited why a person purchased a commercial fishing license and asked for recommendations to changes in regulations or things to improve fishing or fish stocks. The harvest form asked questions on what gear were used and the how many fish were harvested. The gear use included questions on number of days, number of gear units used, and preferred fishing location.( Copies of the inclusions in the packet are found in Appendix A.) The packet was mailed September, 26, 2008, with a deadline for return of January 3, Two hundred fifty two (252) surveys were returned, of which 23 were returned undeliverable, including for one person who had deceased. Statistics on Survey of Inland Commercial Fishery for Participants (FY2008): 75 Survey returns 253= 230 sent in surveys + 22 returned as undeliverable + deceased 33% usable return rate Harvest by Commercial Fishing License Holders for Past Year, 2008 Species Harvest reported by respondents to survey (33% of Licence holders responded to survey) Estimated harvest by All Licensed persons Buffalo 500,000 pounds,500,000 pounds Blue & channel catfish 68,600 22,000 pounds 205, ,000 lbs. Flathead catfish 6,200 53,000 pounds 8,600 53,000 lbs. Common carp 70,000 pounds 20,000 pounds Asian carp 80,000 pounds 240,000 pounds Freshwater drum,000 pounds 33,000 pounds Gar 4,000 pounds ( 26 alligator gar reported) 42, 000 lbs. Other species harvested eel, bowfin, shad, minnows 65 persons reported they harvested no fish in past year (28% of respondents) 9

12 Commercial fishers are required by law and regulation to report harvest on forms supplied by MDWFP. Although the response rate was relatively low for a regulatory requirement, the low response rate may be explained by the dynamic nature of the fishery: Only 348 of the 75 persons who purchased licenses in FY2008, also purchased licenses in FY2009, the fiscal year during which the surveys were sent.. Many of those who received survey forms probably threw them away, as they thought that since they did not have a license at the time they did not need to participate in the survey. And, they were correct. This significant change in participation in the fishery could also explain the high number of persons (28%) who said they did not harvest any fish in the past year (see table on page 0), or the 59% of respondents who did not answer any of the questions on why they participated in the fishery (see table on page ). Fishing effort by respondents to survey (230 respondents 33% of license holders) Fishing effort reported by respondents to survey (for 2008) Gear Number of persons who fished gear (% ) Avg. # days fished in a yr. by persons who fished that gear Avg. # gear fished per day by persons who fished that gear (range) Gill net (range) 47 (20%) 88 (3-365) 3.7 nets (-0) Hoop nets 83 (36%) 56 (2-250) 6.5 nets (2-25) Slat Boxes 9*(8%) 76 (3-300) 2.6 boxes (-5) Trotlines 72 (3%) 7 (5-300) 4.6 lines (-8) No fish harvested 65 (28%) Other gears reported fished rod & reel, special gear ( for Asian carp) Percentage will not total 00% due to persons fishing multiple gears * 93 persons purchased slat box licenses in FY2008 0

13 Locations most frequently mentioned Locations most frequently mentioned as preferred fishing sites Most freq. mentioned gear for that location 2 nd most mentioned gear Gear not mentioned or rarely mentioned # - Pearl River Hoop nets (78%) equal response rate for other gears #2 -MS River & oxbows Gill net (50%) Hoop nets Slat boxes #3 - COE reservoirs Trotlines (60%) Gill nets Hoop nets & slat boxes #4 - Delta rivers Hoop nets (50%) Trotlines Slat boxes & gill nets Response to Survey Questions on Why a Person purchased a Freshwater Commercial Fishing License: QUESTION NUMBER RESPONDENTS Persons who answered NO to all 7 questions 36 (59%). I have a license as a helper to assist another licensed person 6 (7%) 2. I buy and/or sell fish for fish markets or fish houses 39 (7%) 3. I peddle, trade or barter fish to customers on a local route or circuit. 46 (20%) 4. I am a wholesale minnow dealer. 3 (%) 5. I sell minnows caught from public waters I have a permit to raise nongame wildlife for sale. 2 (%) 7. I have a permit to harvest common snapping turtles (0.5%) Similar data on rationale for freshwater fishing license purchase was collected during the sale of license sold during FY2003 to FY2007. During those years persons purchasing commercial fishing license were asked a series of questions to ascertain why they purchased a license. The questions were a facet of the POS system for license sale and were asked at the time the person purchased their license. In FY2003 to FY2005 the program could record multiple answers, but that option did not seem to be working for data collected in FY2006 and FY2007. The FY2006 data was not analyzed because the data for FY2006 and FY 2007 could be misleading. It appeared the respondents may have been confused by the two parts of question #; catch fish for personal use versus I do not sell my catch, and they were answering that question based on the use of catch for personal use.

14 Survey Questions presented to persons purchasing licenses as part of POS system Number of persons who responded yes to question. (System only recorded yes answers) FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2007 respondents non- respondents Question -a I USE NETS, SLAT BASKETS or other gear to catch fish for personal use& I do not sell my catch I use nets, slat boxes or other gear to catch fish for sale 3 I buy and sell fish for fish markets or fish houses I buy or handle fish obtained from commercial anglers or fish dealers for resale I ship fish that I have not caught (other people's fish) out of the state 6 I bring fish into the state to sell them to other people I am a wholesale minnow dealer I sell minnows caught from public waters I raise nongame wildlife for sale Question a was same as question the number for a is the number of respondents who listed yes to only question #. Comparison of POS collected data with 2008 survey data Percentage response to question Question 2008 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2007 catch fish for personal use& I do not sell catch I buy and/or sell fish for fish markets or fish houses I am a wholesale minnow dealer I sell minnows caught from public waters I raise nongame wildlife for sale

15 Response to Comments or suggestions concerning ways to improve activities associated with a commercial fishing license as part of the Commercial Harvest Survey Form. Seventy eight (78) persons elected to make comments on regulation changes and/or ways to enhance the fishery. Gear Changes More enforcement Respondents comments on regulation changes Hoop nets change mesh - 2 ½ MS R ½ statewide in winter Slat boxes lower opening to ¼ or Gill net mesh size 3 ½ statewide Allow slat boxes or ½ hoop nets in Old River WMA Need cotton rule on trotline Allow gar gill nets with 3 mesh of No.9 or larger twine Allow Commercial fishers to have pole to catch skipjack for bait Allow treble hook for snagging at Reservoirs More wardens Pearl & Chickasaway R Stop people stealing gear, running others gear Stop the telephoning around Columbia All people who sell fish need license Approve of not requiring helper to have Commercial fishing license. 6 Regulations OK Need less regulations 5 Change length limit or season Flathead to 8 No length on Channel catfish Close season on flatheads Jun-Sep Fines Increase them Hand Grabbling for Flatheads Either stop it or allow only every other year 2 Turtles Permit sale of turtles Reduce hoop mesh to ½ so they do not snag & drown Respondents comments on Fishery Enhancement Items Access Clean off boat ramps, Strider, Big Black Hwy49 More boat ramps Wilkerson Co., Grand Gulf (Hi water) 5 4 Licenses Need more agents Allow purchase from Web site 3 3 Asian Carp Get rid of them Develop market 5 2 Reduce mesh size to harvest them Reservoir Management Hold more water - Plant mud flats with winter cover crop 4 Dams Fix spillway at Lake Mary 3 Fix Taylor Lake drain Stocking Stock white catfish Grenada Res., Catfish -Pearl R. Columbia 2 Contamination Get information on levels in commercial fish Navigation Clean debris out of rivers Number No 3

16 Number of Persons Observations on Mississippi s commercial fishery based on the harvest survey and license sales. A substantial portion (35-60%) of the licensed participants are not relying on fishing as a significant source of income. Almost 25% of those who made comments on the survey volunteered the response that they fish for hobby, sell fish to help pay fishing expenses, or have a license to get fish for meals at social events. This assertion was supported by review of tag purchases, as 70% of the FY2008 license holders had bought no more than 5 commercial fishing equipment tags (see table that follows) Many who commented said they either did not fish or fished less in 2008 due to health problems. The fishery is dynamic as 325 participants in the FY2009 fishery did not purchase commercial licenses in FY2008. Conservation officers have commented that they expect participation to increase as persons seek additional income from fishing during the current economic downturn. 250 Distribution of Tag purchases Number of Tags Purchased 4

17 NON-GAME GROSS FISH STOCK SURVEY DATA Net gears were used to survey the non-game gross fish in waters of NW Mississippi. Stationary gill nets targeting paddlefish were the primary method. Other methods that were being assessed for use were drift nets and seining. Stationary gill net sets consisted of 4 to 8 nets of the following types of nets. Nets were set from 4 to 24 hours. Base nets that were generally set at each sampling were One 200 monofilament 5 bar mesh sinking gill net, 0 feet deep One 300 multifilament 5 sinking gill net, 2 feet deep tied down to 9 feet One 200 multifilament 4 sinking gill tied down gill net One 50 monofilament 3 sinking gill net Other nets used at times One 300 monofilament 6 sinking gill net, 6 feet deep tied down to 2 feet One 300 multifilament 6 sinking gill net, 6 deep tied down to 9 feet One 00. monofilament 5 bar mesh floating gill net, 0 feet deep ties down to 8 feet In some sampling runs a net(s) may be moved to make multiple sets In 2008, 54 stationary gill net sets were made in 8 water bodies; 63 fish of 24 species were captured. In 2009, 20 sets were made in 6 water bodies ; 43 fish of 9 species were captured Comparison of catch rates by gill net sampling in FY2008 and FY2009. CPUE is per 000 net feet-hours. CPUE per 000 net feet-hrs. Paddlefish All catfish Buffalo All fish MS River oxbows Delta lakes that were open to commercial fishing, and the harvest of paddlefish prior to 2007 Water bodies that were closed to commercial fishing, both now and prior to

18 Comparison of catch rates by gill net sampling in FY2008 and FY2009 between types of waters and with that of paddlefish harvesters in CPUE is catch per net set. CPUE per net set Paddlefish All catfish Buffalo All fish MS River oxbows Delta lakes that were open to commercial fishing, and the harvest of paddlefish prior to 2007 Water bodies that were closed to commercial fishing, both now and prior to 2007 Paddlefish harvesters season Demopolis AL (O Keefe & Jackson, 2006).67 The length of silver and bighead carp caught during the surveys during FY2008 and FY2009 were 4 to 42 inches. Length Frequency of Paddlefish Caught During Surveys; Gill Net Catches in FY 2008 & FY Delta River 0 EF Length in Inches 6

19 Length Frequency of Buffalo Caught During Surveys, Gill Net Catches in FY 2008 & FY Length in Inches Length Frequency of Catfish caught During Surveys, Gill Net Catches in FY 2008 & FY

20 Literature cited Boreman, J Sensitivity of North American sturgeons and paddlefish to fishing mortality. Environmental Biology of Fishes 48: MDWFP, Inland Commercial Fishing Management Plan, December MDWFP, Jackson MS O Keefe, Daniel M. and Donald C. Jackson Assessment of Paddlefish in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Completion Report No. 248, Fed. Aid Project Grant No. T-5, Feb., 2003 Dec. 3, MDWFP, Jackson, MS 8

21 APPENDIX E - Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report APPENDICES 9

22 APPENDIX E - Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report Table. Commercial license sales trend. Number of Commercial License Holders Tags Year Resident Nonresident Total Slat Basket Gear Slat Basket FY 982,783 N/A 0,838 N/A FY 989 ~500 9 FY 990 ~300 ~6 FY 99 ~300 ~23 FY 992 ~200 ~6 FY 993 ~00 20 FY 994 ~000 ~22 FY 995 ~800 ~9 ~ FY ~ FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY

23 APPENDIX E - Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report Distribution of commercial fishing gear tag purchases by licenses during FY # tags No. persons purchasing that no. tags % of 2008 lic. holders purchased

24 APPENDIX F - Public Notice F-3798; Paddlefish harvest Season 22