The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is a large agency with a central office in St. Paul. One of its divisions is the Division of Fish and Wildlife. This branch of the DNR has the complex job of protecting, regulating and managing the fisheries and wildlife resources of Minnesota.
Function
One of the most important functions of the Minnesota DNR is the enforcement of state fishing regulations. This includes creel limits, minimum lengths, open seasons and making sure anglers are properly licensed. This is a year-round endeavor, since ice fishing is extremely popular in Minnesota.
Size
Adjusting regulations to protect the fisheries in Minnesota sometimes requires the DNR to establish size limits on the fish anglers can keep. For example, on some walleye lakes, anglers must return to the water walleyes in the 16 to 20 inch range, since it is believed that these have the best chance to grow into much larger fish. Regulations like these protect the populations of this popular game fish, which has seen its numbers decline from over-harvesting.
Types
Minnesota DNR programs include the management of fish habitats and populations, public education in areas such as conservation and fish environments, outreach programs, licensing, and paying Native-American tribes for the right to fish on their land.
Significance
The Minnesota DNR tags fish in order to study their habits, such as fish migration patterns, behavior in relation to their habitats, mortality rates, the numbers of certain species and the success of stocking efforts. Anglers who report catching any marked or tagged fish are a great help in this regard.
Considerations
The Minnesota DNR stocks many fish species into the waters throughout the Gopher State, such as channel catfish in certain lakes and rainbow trout in several streams. The DNR breeds trout with a goal of instilling favorable survival traits, such as hardiness, then releases them into areas around the state. Even remote lakes receive some rainbow trout, dropped from a float plane.
References
- Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources: Adjust Regulations
- Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources: Tagged Fish Reporting
- Minnesota Fishing Regulations 2010: Table Of Contents (page 3)
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Fishes Of Minnesota (Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout)
- Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources: Fish And Wildlife (Page 17)
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