The S.C. General Assembly passed a bill last year that took effect on April 1, changing how blue catfish in the Santee Cooper lakes are managed.
What was planned to be a regulation to rebuild the great blue catfish fishery on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie turned into a controversy, as original numbers for creel and size limits were changed.
The law states that it is unlawful to possess more than two blue catfish greater than 32 inches long in any one day in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie the upper reach of the Santee River and the Congaree and Wateree rivers. Also, the daily limit for blue catfish is 25 per person in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie and the upper reach of the Santee River, and it applies to all methods of take and licenses.
The bill also stipulates that the S.C. Department of Natural Resources will make a study of the blue catfish fishery on the Santee and Cooper River systems and make recommendations on any needed modifications on or before Jan. 1, 2018. There’s also a “sunset’”clause that states: “This act takes effect April 1, 2015, and shall be automatically repealed on June 30, 2018, unless reauthorized by a joint resolution for that specific purpose.”
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