Every US state receives federal funding for fisheries management in the form of Sportfish Restoration Act money and these funds must be used for fisheries management activities that are limited in scope by being only focused on sportfish. This often leaves the understanding of the entire community or other non-game species to different funding sources that can vary widely among states, In addition, many state regulations are based on single species (e.g., size limit by species). As many fisheries biologists are aware an understanding of the fishery and its supporting system is needed to fully understand the stressors to various sportfish populations. We will compare the approaches states take to manage their inland fisheries, as well as the use of SFR funds versus other funding sources. We will evaluate if and how state agencies are able to more holistically manage ecosystems that then transfers to better management of sportfish species.
Organizers:
- Margaret Murphy, Vermont Fish And Wildlife Department, [email protected]
- Maureen Lynch, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department