New Game and Fish regulations are up for public discussion Monday

PHOENIX – Every two years, the Arizona Game and Fish Department proposes new statewide fishing regulations. The department invites the public to comment on the proposals before submitting them to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for approval at its meeting in September.

The public has been asked to attend the meeting and address the commission on the proposals.

Game and Fish has planned a webcast and public forum on Monday night at six regional locations and its main headquarters near the corner of Carefree Highway and Archery Drive in Phoenix.

There, the public can comment and discuss proposed changes to the state fishing regulations. The webcast can be watched here.

Andy Clark, who oversees sports fishing for the department, said Game and Fish wants the public to fully understand why they are proposing changes to current fishing regulations.

“We want to get anglers’ thoughts and concerns about the proposals. We want to address those. Make sure everyone understands what the rationale is,” Clark said.

Clark said state Game and Fish is active in surveying lakes and collecting biological and trend data to justify the proposed changes to various lakes around the state.

“We’re not just making stuff up. It’s all part of a plan, a vision and a major theme of simplification,” Clark said.

Clark said his team brings its recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for approval.

“It’s just recommendations that we bring to the commission and then they decide whether to accept our recommendations or do something different,” Clark said. “They can tell us to go back and get more data, or no, that’s not what we want to do or ‘yes,’ and in addition, do ‘this,’” Clark said.

In all, there are five proposed changes to the current fishing regulations that are up for discussion and recommendation to the state Game and Fish Commission.

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