Paris, Tenn.–The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold its April meeting in Henry County at the Holly Fork Shooting Complex located near Paris. The commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Friday, April 26, and a topic of interest to Henry Countians is on the agenda–Asian carp. However, the meeting is set for the same time as the World’s Biggest Fish Fry grand parade and city and county officials will all be at the parade, as will many citizens who would normally be interested in the local Asian carp issue.
Committee meetings will start at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 while the regular commission meeting is Friday, April 26 at 9 a.m.
The meeting will be the first with Kurt Holbert of Decaturville serving as chair. Other officers elected at the last meeting held in February are vice chair Brian McLerran of Moss and secretary Angie Box of Jackson. It will also be the first meeting for appointed commissioners Jimmy Granbery of Nashville, Steve Jones of Clinton, Jim Ripley of Kodak, Thomas Woods of Piney Flatts, and Hank Wright, Collierville.
Among the items on the April agenda is an update on efforts to combat Asian carp. Frank Fiss, Fisheries Division chief for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, will present information on the agency teaming with commercial fishermen to remove Asian carp from Tennessee waterways through the Asian Carp Harvest Incentive Program . In the past six months, more than 600,000 pounds of fish have been removed.
Fiss will also discuss the support from congressional representatives, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resources Association.
James Kelly, Deer Management Program leader, will share a concept being considered for hunting regulations for CWD (chronic wasting disease) positive and high-risk counties.
The TWRA is constantly striving to provide more opportunities for families and millennials to try hunting and fishing. These efforts are keys in increasing hunting and angler numbers in the state. Jenifer Wisniewski, Outreach and Communications Division chief will make a proposal to develop a statewide program that would reach thousands of Tennesseans who do not hunt or fish each year.
Don King, Multi-Media Division chief, will provide previews for several of the new videos recently produced for television, radio, Pandora and Social media.