This section (and its not written precisely like this in the actual law)
applies only to someone who attempts to transport baitfish out of the state
that were sold illegally. It does not apply to properly licensed fishermen
(resident or non-resident)collecting baitfish with a seine or dip net no
larger than 4' square or in diameter, or with a minnow trap, so long as the
trap has no more than 2 openings that are no greater than 1" diam.
There is a daily and possession limit of 50 (total combined species); this
means a non-resident could collect 50 baitfish each day (assuming he was
using up the bait). Someone on an overnight fishing trip may transport two
times the daily limit (regardless of how many days he fished) from the place
he was staying to his residence. HOWEVER, the regulations also state that
it will be "a rebuttable presumption that all the fish were caught in one
day". So, 50 is safe; if you can prove you were staying in PA fishing more
than one day, 100 would be the limit; if you're along a stream and have
more than 50, I can assure you you're gonna have problems.
In PA, "baitfish" are: "all minnows, suckers, chubs, fallfish, lampreys,
eels between 6"-8", gizzard shad 8" or less, and all darters, killifishes,
and madtoms/stonecats." Exceptions are all endangered & threatened species,
which may not be possessed (list is posted on the PA Fish & Boat Comm
website: www.fish.state.pa.us). Additionally, the release of candidate
species in encouraged.
Note that a number of groups that are of interest to collectors are not
included in this definition, including sunfishes, non-Noturus catfishes,
bowfin, pickerel, mudminnows, silversides, and sticklebacks. To be legal, a
collector would have to return these immediately. Sunfish, catfish, and
pickerel could be retained if caught by hook and line (Ray Wolff would have
to throw his mudminnies back!), so long as size limits were adhered to.
Hope this helps. Could be worse.
Rob Criswell
>From: Harry Knaub <harryknaub_at_netrax.net>
>Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>To: "nanfa_at_aquaria.net" <nanfa at aquaria.net>
>Subject: NANFA-- Collecting this spring
>Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 22:38:07 -0500
>
>I was wondering if there is anyone on this list, living in south central
>PA or even central central PA who would be interested in getting
>together this spring or summer to do some collecting. The PA fish
>commision seems pretty adament about not taking bait fishes out of the
>state, so I'm not going to ask any out-of-staters. I don't want to
>encourage anyone to break the law.
>
>Harry Knaub
>York, PA
>
>
>/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
>/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
>/ Association"
>/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
>Association
>/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
>/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
>/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
>/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
>/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page,
>http://www.nanfa.org
_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org
</x-flowed>