Stop all commercial net fishing in Arkansas' rivers

The Issue

The video is of one commercial fisherman on the Arkansas river on one days trip. Imagine what 5000 commercial fishermen do in a single day to Arkansas' rivers. Arkansas' sport fishermen are being overwhelmed by commercial fisherman rules of no limits on the amounts of catfish that they can catch and possess. They are allowed to use nets that catch fish as small as fiddler catfish. There is only a $25 dollar license requirement and $5 per net tag. I've personally seen these guys come in with thousands of pounds of fish in a single day. These commercial fishermen are depleting the great fisheries in the state of Arkansas to the point that sport fishermen (who have limits set on the numbers of fish that they can catch and possess) can barely catch a fish any more. Large catfish are the only known preditors of Asian carp and Zebra mussels. Catfish over 10 pounds are not really good to eat anyway and the bigger fish are the spawners. Most sport fishermen just want a picture of their big fish and then releases them to fight again. Arkansas does not allow commercial deer hunters so why are they allowing commercial fishermen? Please sign this petition to stop the over harvesting of our great Arkansas rivers.

This petition had 533 supporters

The Issue

The video is of one commercial fisherman on the Arkansas river on one days trip. Imagine what 5000 commercial fishermen do in a single day to Arkansas' rivers. Arkansas' sport fishermen are being overwhelmed by commercial fisherman rules of no limits on the amounts of catfish that they can catch and possess. They are allowed to use nets that catch fish as small as fiddler catfish. There is only a $25 dollar license requirement and $5 per net tag. I've personally seen these guys come in with thousands of pounds of fish in a single day. These commercial fishermen are depleting the great fisheries in the state of Arkansas to the point that sport fishermen (who have limits set on the numbers of fish that they can catch and possess) can barely catch a fish any more. Large catfish are the only known preditors of Asian carp and Zebra mussels. Catfish over 10 pounds are not really good to eat anyway and the bigger fish are the spawners. Most sport fishermen just want a picture of their big fish and then releases them to fight again. Arkansas does not allow commercial deer hunters so why are they allowing commercial fishermen? Please sign this petition to stop the over harvesting of our great Arkansas rivers.

The Decision Makers

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

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Petition created on August 6, 2014