Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2015 5:42:25 GMT -5
Administrative Rule (Regulation) Changes
If approved, these changes would take effect in late summer or fall of 2015.
The Division of Fish & Wildlife initiated a number of rule ideas/topics for public comment earlier this year to start the biennial rule change process. Thousands of comments were received both online and by regular mail in January and February. A few ideas submitted by the Division of Fish & Wildlife were dropped, and a couple of ideas received by the public were added as a result of some of these comments. As a result of public comments and requests by staff of the Division of Fish & Wildlife, the following amendments are proposed.
River Otter-related Rule Package
The Natural Resources Commission gave final adoption to this rule package at its meeting on Jan. 20, 2015. The rule changes must be approved by the Attorney General’s Office and Governor’s Office before they take effect later this year.
The changes are summarized as follows:
•312 IAC 9-2-3: Would allow the sale of river otters, including their hides and parts, as well as squirrel hides. The sale of river otter hides and parts is needed with the changes to 312 IAC 9-3-18.2 that would open a trapping season for river otters. The sale of squirrel hides was requested in a citizen petition to the Natural Resources Commission.
•312 IAC 9-3-18.2: State law requires the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to manage wild animals to be self-sustaining. The DFW reintroduced river otter in the mid-1990s. They are now found in more than 87 percent of Indiana counties, and the population continues to expand. This has led to conflicts between river otter and private pond owners, aquaculture facilities and recreational anglers. The DFW has a responsibility to manage and balance the river otter population for all citizens. Such a season would allow for a healthy and stable river otter population. The rule proposal includes strict limits on the number of otters that could be taken; when, where, and how otters can be trapped, and mandatory registration of harvested otters. A temporary rule would be implemented annually by the director that would specify the counties that would be open to trapping and the statewide quota. Traps must be checked every 24 hours.
•312 IAC 9-3-18.4: Removes the river otter from this rule since it will be a game species. Game taken legally outside Indiana can be possessed in Indiana already pursuant to IC 14-22-10-4.
•312 IAC 9-10-12: Removes date restrictions on the possession of river otter, bobcat, and badger carcasses and hides, changes the possession date and reporting date to June 30 of the year the license expires (licenses run from July 1 through June 30 of the following year), and specifies requirements for the proper disposal of carcasses.