SB4: Bill Text

LRB-1417/1

EHS:kjf

2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Senate BILL 4

January 20, 2017 - Introduced by Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

SB4,1,3 An Act to amend 29.519 (1m) (b); and to create 29.519 (1m) (bm) of the statutes; relating to: a minimum limit on the amount of chubs that may be commercially harvested from the waters of Lake Michigan.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is introduced as required by s. 227.19 (5) (g), stats., in support of the objection of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules on March 3, 2016, to the promulgation of clearinghouse rule number 15-050 by the Department of Natural Resources. The proposed rule establishes a total allowable commercial harvest of chubs in the waters of Lake Michigan equal to 25 percent of the Lake Michigan spawning bloater chub biomass or 350,000 pounds, whichever is greater, for any license year. This bill prohibits DNR from establishing a limit on the commercial harvest of chubs from the waters of Lake Michigan that is less than 1,800,000 pounds in a license year.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB4,1 Section 1. 29.519 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB4,2,11 29.519 (1m) (b) The department may limit the number of licenses issued under this section and designate the areas in the outlying waters under the jurisdiction of this state where commercial fishing operations shall be restricted. After Except as provided in par. (bm), after giving due consideration to the recommendations made by the commercial fishing boards under sub. (7), the department may establish species harvest limits and promulgate rules to establish formulas for the allocation of the species harvest limits among commercial fishing licensees or for the allotment of individual licensee catch quotas. The department may allocate the harvest limits among commercial fishing licensees. The department may designate the kind, size and amount of gear to be used in the harvest. The limitations on licenses, restricted fishing areas, harvests and gear shall be based on the available harvestable population of fish and in the wise use and conservation of the fish so as to prevent overexploitation.

SB4,2 Section 2. 29.519 (1m) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB4,2,15 29.519 (1m) (bm) The department may not establish a limit on the commercial harvest of chubs from the waters of Lake Michigan that is less than 1,800,000 pounds in a license year.

SB4,2,16 (End)