04-13-2007, 10:04 PM
[#ff40a0]This was alot quicker than I can ever expect from any goverment agancy. [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]I appreciate you taking time to contact me and to express your concerns. We are very aware of the situation with the striped bass population and to a lesser degree the crappie populaton. Crappie populations can be cyclic (alternating between good and bad periods of time) and they are influenced in a lot of reservoirs by the annual fluctutations in water level. In several reservoirs in SC we have been able to work with the utilities operating the dams to provide stable water levels during the crappie spawning season and have seen good results with improve year class strength and recruitment of the young of the year fish into harvestable sizes. With the increaseing pressure on crappie we have started to discuss the potential for more restrictive creel limits and potential size limits for these species.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]Santee Cooper is suffering for a series of poor "water years" associated with drought and near drought conditions. This has had some impact on the crappie and an even greater impact on the striper population. The low flows in the two main tributaries, Congaree River and Wateree River, have contributed to low reproductive success for stripers in the system. We annual stock about 2.5 million striped bass fingerlings in the lakes to supplement the natural reproduction. However, during the last four or five years the survival and recruitment of the hatchery fish has been poor. This could be attributed to the low flows and the resulting low nutrient loads entering the sytem. The success of young striped bass to survive and recruit is influenced by the organic nutrients flushed from the flood plains associated with the rivers entering the system. The flooding and flushing of the river bottoms and swamps provided critical energy to the system the supports striped bass young.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]In South Carolina the DNR does not have the authority to set the creel and size limits for the majority of our waters. Restrictions must be passed as laws by the South Carolina General Assembly. We have, since the early 1980's, worked with the General Assembly to apply a series of harvest restrictions to attempt to protect striped bass and limit their fishing mortality. We have gone from a 10 fish no size limit, to a 10 fish, 18 inch limit to currently an 5 fish 21 inch limit. All of these limits have been compromises. Our staff has always felt the the minimum size needed to be larger; larger enough to protect female stripers long enough to allow them to spawn at least once before becoming vulnerable to harvest by anglers. They need to be protected through their fifth year of life which translates in Santee Cooper to about 26 inches.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]Additionally we started supplementing the Santee striper population in the mid 80's with hatchery produced fish. There have been occasional years where the hatchery produced fish made up over 80% on a given year class. I mentioned earlier that the survival of our hatchery fish has not been good in recent years. To address this our stocking strategy has been modified to stock hatchery fish in smaller batches in many more locations on the lakes. By doing this we hope to decrease the level of competition for food between the stocked fingerlings and reduce their vulnerablity predations stocked in lower densities over lareger areas.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]Another area that we need to address with any regulation change or managment action is the impact of catch and release of stripers during hot weather. Data from recent studies conducted in South Carolina show that as many as 85% of stripers caught and release in water above 78 degrees or so will be so stressed that, even though they swim away will die with in three or four days. In waters below 75 degrees or so stripers can be caught and released with little or no mortality.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]We are clearly at a cross roads for the Santee Cooper system. Our Freshwater Fisheries staff has been work very hard to prepare reccomendations for new more restrictive limits in order to restore the fishery. We are currently working through a process of public input and review of the reccomendation and public input by the DNR Board, Advisory Committee and Agency administration. We hope to have an acceptable regulation change ready to go to the General Assembly when they start their session in January.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]I will assure you that our staff are profoundly aware of your concerns and share them very deeply. We all have big bottles of Tums on our desks as we work through South Carolina's process to change the Santee Cooper regulations in a meaningful way.[/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]On a positive note, we have had a good water year. The hatchery has had good succes collecting quality brood stock. It should be the best year in about 6 or so for survival and recuitment of striped bass young. [/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2][/size][/#0000ff][/font] [font "Arial"][#0000ff][size 2]Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional comments or questions. I hope we can show some progress over the next 12 months. Thank you again for your interest.[/size][/#0000ff][/font]
Good luck guys, your not forgotten.[/#ff40a0]
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Good luck guys, your not forgotten.[/#ff40a0]
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