Notice of Rule Making for Fishing Regulations

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to authority set forth below, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources proposes amendments to the Rules of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Saltwater Fishing Regulations, Chapter 391-2-4 and Fishing Regulations, Chapter 391-4-3. These amendments are being promulgated under the authority of Title 27, Section 27-1-4 of the Official Code of Georgia, Annotated.

The proposal will extensively amend Chapter 391-2-4 and Chapter 391-4-3 to include the following:

1. repeal of seasonal closures for amberjack, bluefish, cobia, Spanish mackerel and tarpon;
2. repeal of minimum length limits for Atlantic croaker and spot;
3. change the minimum length for black drum from 10 inches to 14 inches;
4. require that catfish traps in saltwater be marked with visible floats;
5. require that eel traps in freshwater and saltwater be marked with visible floats, increase the minimum length for eels from 6 inches to 9 inches, apply minimum length to recreational harvest and create a daily creel limit of 25 eels per person for recreational harvest;
6. close the Ogeechee River to commercial harvest of shad;
7. designate sound-beach boundaries by defined latitude/longitude coordinates with a repeal of the requirement that the sound-beach boundaries be marked by DNR;
8. define reporting requirements for licensed saltwater fishing guides and licensed saltwater fishing pier operators.

Public hearings on the proposed amendments will be held in Brunswick on September 9, 2013 and in Richmond Hill on Tuesday, September 10, 2013, each at 6:00 PM. Written public comment will be received through Monday, September 30, 2013. Comments should be legible, concise and limited to the proposed rule change. Following the comment period, the Board of Natural Resources will consider the proposed rule on October 22, 2013 at 9:00 AM at its Board Room located at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE, Suite 1252, Atlanta, Georgia.

Public Meeting Locations

Mail or email comments to:

Doug Haymans

Coastal Resources Division

One Conservation Way

Brunswick, GA 31520

Doug.Haymans@gadnr.org

Public Notice (PDF)

Background (PDF)

Exact Rule (PDF)