Commercial fishermen illegally catch game fish on Chickamauga lake

Nashville, Tenn. - According to an article posted by Richard Simms of "Chattanoogan.com" (http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_147959.asp), the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has charged two commercial fishermen with multiple counts of violating Tennessee's regulations pertaining to commercial fishing.

Simms reports TWRA officers were able to video the two suspects checking their commercial fishing nets well within 100 yards of the mouth of the slough and strung almost all the way across one finger of the slough - a violation of state commercial fishing regulations. Simms also reports that the officers observed the commercial fisherman's helper actually strike a striped bass in the head with a blunt object to kill it before throwing it back in the water.

The article also reports that officers found an estimated 800 pounds of fish, discovering a total of 11 catfish over 34 inches in length. State law, rules and regulations allow commercial anglers to keep no more than one catfish per day more than 34 inches in length.

Federation CEO Mike Butler expressed his concern and anger over the violations by stating, "this appears to be a gross violation of Tennessee's wildlife laws and our hope is that the legal system will utilize all available means to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law." According to Simms, the two commercial fishermen have a mandatory court appearance on April 24th in General Sessions Court in Rhea County in front of Judge Jimmy McKenzie.

"There are approximately 800,000 people who fish for sport fish in Tennessee annually. Violations like the ones reported in Mr. Simms article highlight the damage that can be done to Tennessee's fisheries resources when just two commercial fishermen don't follow the rules. And the impacts don't stop with only the fisheries resource. Rural areas in Tennessee rely on the economic impacts that Tennessee's sportsmen and women bring to those areas and without a healthy and vibrant fishery these local economies can be hurt", said Butler.

 The Tennessee Wildlife Federation was established in 1946 and its mission is to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee's wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. Visit our website at www.tnwf.org