WHEREAS, Act 437 of the 1999 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature repealed the recreational hoopnet license thereby requiring anyone but a disabled person to have a commercial fishing license in order to fish one or more hoopnets, and
WHEREAS, hoopnets are efficient fish-catching devices that have traditionally been used on a noncommercial basis by persons with low or fixed incomes to help feed their families, and
WHEREAS, commercial hoopnet fees are too expensive for noncommercial use of hoopnets, and
WHEREAS, Act 437 was passed with little consideration given to the impact it would have on noncommercial, subsistence hoopnet users.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation urges that senior citizens that have a basic recreational fishing license be allowed to use up to two freshwater hoopnets to take nongame fish for home consumption, in compliance with any existing limitations on length and bag for such nongame fish, or that seniors be given a discount on the commercial hoopnet fee to use hoopnets to catch nongame fish for noncommercial, homeconsumption purposes.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in convention assembled, March 12, 2000 in Alexandria, Louisiana