fa:J-1 / D-' / '1 Binational Fisheries Management Plan for Amistad Reservoir United States Agency Contributors: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department National Park Service US Fish & Wildlife Service * Mexico Agency Contributors: Secretarfa de Agricultura, Ganaderia, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentacion. Instituto Nacional de Pesca. Comision Nacional del Agua. Secretaria de Turismo SCT Gobierno del Estado de Coahuila * Mexico agencies contributed to the development of the plan, but none have signed the final docume11", .&I:'k:-rr.. ~~I~htt ~)~J~l~ fU~ i~rORMATlth\l ~€NiER SEIiIViGE CENTER P/,RKSERV1CF. -- .. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BINATIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLAN Amistad National Recreation Area National Park Service Del Rio, Texas Approved: --=-Q~~~_LJ__ ---.y-----=+~4---4~-=o~G:...-.... Superintendent Date Amistad National Recreation Area Approved: ",,--if/~fi ~--,-,fJ,--"-,iLL",,,----,,---,~ ____ P.-f-1 s=+-/.=.....:::O fa=----_ Di~r, Inland Flshenes ~D~ite Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Approved: ____________________________ (Mexico is not a signatory at this time) Date Binational Fisheries Management Plan Binational Fisheries Management Plan 11 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 Reservoir history and its purposes .................................................................................. 1 Environmental description .............................................................................................. 2 Types of activities that occur on the reservoir ................................................................ 3 Fishing .................................................................................................................................... 3 Other Activities ....................................................................................................................... 3 Commercial fishing ................................................................................................................ 4 Current designations affecting the reservoir ................................................................... 4 us Designations ..................................................................................................................... 4 Mexico Designations .............................................................................................................. 4 US - Mexico Joint Designations/Treaty ................................................................................. 4 Agency management plans that affect reservoir management ....................................... 4 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) ......................................................... 4 National Park Service ............................................................................................................. 5 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Inland Fisheries) ....................................................... 5 Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentaci6n (SAGARPA) ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Agreements between management agencies and groups ................................................ 5 United States ........................................................................................................................... 5 Mexico .................................................................................................................................... 5 Binational management plan purpose and need .............................................................. 7 Process used to develop cooperative plan ....................................................................... 7 AGENCY MISSION STATEMENTS ............................................................................ 9 United States ................................................................................................................... 9 National Park Service ............................................................................................................. 9 US Fish and Wildlife Service ................................................................................................. 9 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.. .................................................................................. 9 International Boundary & Water Commission ....................................................................... 9 Mexico ............................................................................................................................ 9 SAGARPA .............................................................................................................................. 9 INP ........................................................................................................................................ 10 CONAPESCA ....................................................................................................................... 10 CAN ...................................................................................................................................... 10 State of Coahuila ................................................................................................................... 10 HISTORY OF FISHERY MANAGEMENT ON THE RESERVOIR ...................... 10 State of Texas ................................................................................................................ 10 Species Inanaged ................................................................................................................... 10 Stocking history .................................................................................................................... 11 Harvest regulation history ..................................................................................................... 13 Mexico .......................................................................................................................... 14 Species managed ................................................................................................................... 14 Stocking History ................................................................................................................... 15 Harvest regulation history ..................................................................................................... 15 Cooperative Accords Reached in the Past .................................................................... 16 Binational Fisheries Management Plan 111 CURRENT STATUS AND CONDITION OF THE FISHERY RESOURCES ........ 17 Species composition, abundance and distribution ........................................................ 17 Threatened and endangered species .............................................................................. 18 Invasive species ............................................................................................................ 21 Status of sport fisheries ................................................................................................. 21 Regulations ........................................................................................................................... 22 Prohibitions ........................................................................................................................... 23 Status of commercial fishery ........................................................................................ 23 Mexican fisheries studies .............................................................................................. 25 Habitat limitations ......................................................................................................... 26 MAJOR ISSUES OF CONCERN ................................................................................. 28 Recreational - commercial fisheries conflicts ............................................................... 28 Increasing recreational use and tournaments ................................................................ 28 Fishing access ............................................................................................................... 29 Water quality/quantity/regulation ................................................................................. 30 Conflicting use .............................................................................................................. 30 Education and outreach ................................................................................................. 30 COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ....................................................... 32 Management goals ........................................................................................................ 32 Management protocols .................................................................................................. 36 Regulation changes ............................................................................................................... 36 Implementation of the Binational Management Plan committee .......................................... 36 Management constraints ....................................................................................................... 36 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW .........