Jenny Gilbert

This administrative regulation establishes size limits, daily creel limits, and possession limits for sport fish that may be taken from Kentucky waters.

This administrative regulation is necessary to properly manage the sport fish populations of Kentucky.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department to promulgate administrative regulations to establish seasons for the taking of fish and wildlife, to regulate daily limits and methods of take, and to make these requirements apply to a limited area. KRS 150.470 authorizes the department to establish daily limits and size limits for fish.

This administrative regulation will assist in the effective administration of the statutes by limiting the number and size of fish that may be taken from Kentucky’s waters. This will ensure that Kentucky’s valuable sport fish populations are maintained at high levels.

This amendment places a special size and daily limit regulation on channel and blue catfish at Yatesville Lake, changes the lower boundary for special walleye and smallmouth bass size and daily limits on the Barren River and tributaries due to the removal of Lock and Dam #1 on the Barren River, removes the definitions section due to creation of a new definitions regulation (301 KAR 1:001), and changes "daily creel limit" to "daily limit" throughout the regulation to match the new definitions regulation (301 KAR 1:001).

The Department is now stocking blue catfish in Yatesville Lake and is imposing stricter regulations to protect this new population. In addition, a new lower boundary for special smallmouth bass and walleye regulations on the Barren River is needed due to the removal of the old lower boundary marker which was Lock and Dam #1 on the Barren River. Finally, the definitions section of this regulation is being removed due to creation of a new definitions regulation (301 KAR 1:001) and the use of "daily creel limit is being changed to "daily limit" to match the newly created 301 KAR 1:001.

See 1(c) above.

See 1(d) above.

All anglers fishing at Yatesville Lake and the Barren River and its tributaries will be affected. The "daily limit" wording change is not a regulation change and should have no impact on anglers.

All anglers fishing at the water bodies and for the species identified in 2(a) above will have to follow the new regulations.

There will be no cost incurred by the anglers identified.

Anglers who fish at the water bodies and for the species identified in 2(a) above will benefit in the long run from a higher quality sport fishery as well as an easy to identify lower boundary on the Barren River.

There will be no initial cost to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no additional cost on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

It will not be necessary to increase fees or funding to implement this administrative regulation.

This administrative regulation does not establish any fees, nor does it indirectly increase any fees.

Tiering was not applied because all individuals fishing in Kentucky must abide by the same requirements.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' Divisions of Fisheries and Law Enforcement will be impacted by this amendment.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department to promulgate administrative regulations to regulate bag, daily, and possession limits of game and fish. KRS 150.470 authorizes the department to promulgate daily limits and size limits for fish.

It is unknown if this administrative regulation could indirectly increase any fishing license sales during the first year.

There will be no direct revenue generated in subsequent years, and it is unknown if fishing license sales will be indirectly increased because of this amendment.

There will be no initial cost to implement this administrative regulation for the first year.

There will be no cost in subsequent years.

There will be no anticipated cost savings for the regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no anticipated cost savings for the regulated entities in subsequent years.

There will be no additional costs for the regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no additional costs for the regulated entities in subsequent years.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)] This amendment will have no major economic impact as defined above.