The Kentuckiana Chapter of Safari Club International fully SUPPORTS House Bill 397.
The bill, sponsored by Representative DJ Johnson and co-sponsored by Representatives Kim Banta, Vanessa Grossl, and Matthew Lehman, protects our trophy catfish fishery for generations to come.
Trophy fish are defined by Kentucky Administrative Regulation 301 KAR 1:001 in two ways. In the lower Ohio River, a trophy fish is a flathead or blue catfish that is a minimum of forty (40) inches and a channel catfish that is a minimum of thirty (30) inches. In all other Kentucky waters, a trophy fish is a flathead or blue catfish that is a minimum of thirty-five (35) inches and a channel catfish that is a minimum of twenty-eight (28) inches.
The bill is well written, concise, and timely as our stocks of trophy catfish are in measurable decline. The bill does three things and does not reach beyond these three things - contrary to some publicized misinterpretations of the bill.
First, it sunsets the “Lower Ohio River Trophy Catfish Harvest Permit.” The licensed commercial fishermen who have this permit can collectively take a combined daily limit of sixty (60) trophy fish per day from the lower Ohio River below the Cannelton Lock and Dam near Cloverport, KY. The continued harvest of up to sixty (60) trophy fish per day is simply unsustainable and jeopardizes the future of the fishery. The language from the bill that sunsets those permits is:
“Any permit issued by the department to take lower Ohio River trophy catfish shall expire on February 28, 2027, and the department shall not issue or reissue any new lower Ohio River trophy catfish permits after that date.”
Second, the bill makes it illegal for only commercial fisherman to transport a live trophy fish. The language from the bill that prevents the transport of those trophy fish is:
“A person engaged in commercial fishing shall not transport live trophy catfish except by boat while in the course of legally fishing with all of the necessary permits and licenses required by the department.”
Finally, the bill adds improved penalties if a commercial fisherman is convicted of transporting live trophy fish. The language from the bill that achieves that necessary goal is:
“Any person convicted of violating this Act shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for each offense. In addition to all other penalties that may apply, a person convicted of a violation of any provision of this chapter or the administrative regulations promulgated hereunder that results in the wounding or death of a trophy catfish shall pay to the department five hundred dollars ($500) for the replacement cost of each trophy catfish.”
What the bill does not do is put commercial catfishermen at risk for losing their opportunity to fish within legal parameters, nor does it prevent the stocking of wild caught catfish into pay lakes. The language from Kentucky Administrative Regulation 301 KAR 1:155 Commercial Fishing Requirements remains unchanged by this bill, and it reads as follows:
“Section 5. Special Catfish Harvest Restrictions. (1) In all waters open to commercial fishing… there shall be an unlimited harvest of catfish less than trophy catfish size.”
Something must be done now to ensure we still have wild trophy catfish for our children and grandchildren to catch and release someday, and House Bill 397 does just that.
We ask the citizens of the Commonwealth who want to see the trophy fish protected to consider contacting their legislators by calling the Legislative Research Commission’s Message Line at (800) 372-7181. A professional receptionist will answer and assist you in leaving a message for your legislators. Something as simple as, “Please support House Bill 397 and protect our trophy catfish,” is all that is needed. The operating hours of the message line are Monday through Thursday 7:00am to 9:00pm and Friday 7:00am until 6:00pm.
If you would like to research the issue for yourself, here are the links to the bill and the regulations quoted above: