May 26, 2015 — Turns out it was all a misunderstanding. Sort of.
The new fishing regulation that makes it seemingly illegal to so much as take a photo of an out-of-season, out-of-water fish was questioned a couple of weeks ago by Syracuse Post-Standard outdoors writer Dave Figura.
The new regulation, which took effect April 1, is listed on page 52 in the new DEC fishing guide that comes with a fishing license:
“A person may not fish for a species (even if immediately released) during the closed season for that species on a given water. Fish caught during the closed season must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any other purpose, including taking a picture.
“Such action can result in a ticket from an environmental conservation officer and a resulting penalty of a fine of up to $250, and/or 15 days in jail.”
DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino was quoted in Figura’s column: “It’s a ticketable offense. It’s all because of the social media thing and people posing with the fish for pictures. They often spend too much time dilly-dallying and don’t return the fish immediately to the water. This was designed to protect the fish species.”
Read the full story at Press and Sun-Bulletin