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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Environment - "New Indiana regulations aim to protect Ohio River paddlefish"
From the AP:
Ohio River paddlefish, whose eggs are sought by poachers as a lucrative source of caviar, are being protected by new regulations from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.The agency approved emergency rules that include limits on catching paddlefish from Nov. 15 to April 15 and a minimum size of 34 inches from eye to tail fork.
"Our recent investigation clearly revealed that existing regulations are insufficient to protect this unique resource," agency director Robert Carter Jr. said Monday.
A two-year investigation led to arrests of more than 20 people on charges including illegal taking of paddlefish, money laundering, and racketeering and corrupt business influence, Carter said. * * *
The emergency rules, valid for one year and renewable for another year, also prohibit the snagging of paddlefish by people with sport-fishing licenses. They also prohibit the use of gill nets and trammel nets during the closed paddlefish season, and standardize a method for commercial fishers to check paddlefish for the presence of eggs.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 19, 2007 09:31 AM
Posted to Environment