Montana residents and conservationists said using drones and remote-controlled devices to fish conflicts with the state’s “fair chase” ethic at a hearing held by telephone Tuesday.
The hearing was organized so the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission could collect public input on a rule that would prohibit people from operating drones and other remote-controlled devices while fishing.
Phil Kilbreath of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Enforcement Division raised the issue with the commission in June. He told commissioners people had been asking his division whether the state permits fishing with drones or remote-controlled boats with special attachments. Tracking animals with the aid of drones during hunts is illegal in Montana, but the commission hasn’t yet addressed whether the regulation should also apply to fishing.
Many remote-controlled boats are now designed to help anglers spot fish and transport bait or lures to desired areas. Some can even land fish. Newly designed drone attachments function in a similar way, allowing anglers to target fish from above.
In October, commissioners voted in favor of drafting a new rule to outlaw using drones and other remote-controlled devices to carry a hook or bait across water, scout out fish and hook or land fish.
People can submit written comments on the rule to the department until Friday at 11:59 p.m.
The people who attended Tuesday’s meeting largely supported a ban on the practice, but some took issue with the language of the proposed rule.
James Homison, a sportsman from Stanford, said while he agrees with the intent of the rule, he recommends the department tweak the wording. As it’s written, operating a drone or remote-controlled device “while fishing” would be prohibited. Homison said the department should prohibit operating such devices “as a means of catching fish.”
Homison said that while it sounds silly, there are some things people should be allowed to do with a drone while they’re fishing.
“If we can ever get to the point where you can order up a jar of marshmallows, two dozen crawlers and a 12-pack of beer from Amazon and have it delivered by drone, that would be very convenient,” he said.
Homison added that user conflicts could escalate if people were allowed to use drones and other devices to fish, as inattentive operators could get their devices snagged in inconvenient places.
“In the last 10 or 15 years I’ve had to unhook three boats while traditional shoreline angling because of inattentive boaters passing by,” he said. “The thoughts of landing and unhooking a drone or small, remote-controlled boat are thoughts I’ve never entertained until now.”
Thomas Baumeister, Montana Chapter Capital Leader for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said his organization wholeheartedly supports the rule.
Handheld fishing rods are simplistic and somewhat archaic by design, and the state has long made sure hunting and fishing are activities that require “skill, effort and restraint,” Baumeister said. A rule banning the use of drones to fish would fit the state’s “fair chase” ethic.
Clayton Elliott, conservation and government affairs director of Montana Trout Unlimited, said his organization is still grappling with the rule but supports the agency moving forward.
All people who attended Tuesday’s meeting other than Elliott said they supported a rule outlawing fishing with a drone or remote-controlled boat.
December 02, 2020 at 02:00PM
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Rule barring using drones to fish gets support at hearing - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
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