Last week, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) indefinitely suspended future commercial paddlefish fishing seasons on the Alabama River.
In the state’s press release it was noted that Paddlefish “mature slowly and have low reproductive rates making them highly susceptible to overfishing.”
The notification to residents of Alabama mentioned the ban that was instituted in the late 80’s to ensure that population growth remained stable for paddlefish:
“In 1988, ADCNR implemented a statewide prohibition on the commercial and recreational harvest of paddlefish in response to the rapid depletion of the species in Alabama waters that occurred during the early to mid-1980s. The biology and life history of paddlefish combined with a relatively low population size and the high value of its eggs for use as caviar makes it particularly vulnerable to overharvest and localized extinction.”
After finding that the paddlefish population in the Alabama River had become sustainable enough to support a regulated commercial fishery, the ADCNR implemented a limited annual commercial season for paddlefish within designated management areas of the Alabama River with the understanding that these monitored commercial fishing efforts would provide the data necessary to develop a management plan for the species.
Upon reviewing the reproductive habits and population growth of paddlefish from the 2013-2016 seasons and not having enough quality information to research the sustainability of the paddlefish further from the 2017 season, the ADCNR feel this is the best path to follow.
An analysis of the reports from the 2017 season continuing into the 2018 season indicated that some “paddlefish harvesters were likely falsifying records in an effort to obscure an overharvest of the fishery.”
The press release also noted that reports of illegal fishing methods were used by some permitted paddlefish harvesters lead to ADCNR law enforcement officers initiating an intensive investigation. This investigation resulted in 135 convictions for paddlefish fishing violations.
More information can be found about the paddlefish in Alabama here.
@RealKyleMorris is a Yellowhammer News contributor and also contributes weekly to The Daily Caller
