FWS PROPOSES CHANGES IN WATERFOWL SEASONS

JEFFERSON CITY -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the four waterfowl flyway councils are proposing to change the way duck harvest regulations are set. They say the changes would make the regulation-setting process more consistent, objective and predictable.

FWS Director Mollie Beattie said the present system has confused hunters. Furthermore, it has produced poorly defined harvest-management objectives and too many regulatory options.

Under the proposed procedures, which are open to public comment, the number of regulatory options would be reduced to three packages for the 1995-96 season. The three would be called the "restrictive," "moderate" and "liberal" options.

The "restrictive" option would be similar to the 1988-93 seasons. The "moderate" option would be similar to the 1985-87 seasons, and the "liberal" option would be similar to regulations issued for the 1979- 84 seasons. The option chosen for the 1995-96 season would be determined by a formula that weighs several factors. Those factors include current resource status, including duck populations and habitat conditions as determined by the annual breeding duck survey. FWS would establish objectives for waterfowl population recovery and harvest in coordination with the flyway councils and states.

Beattie says the long-term recovery of waterfowl populations remains the FWS's highest priority. Nevertheless, under anticipated conditions, the proposed procedures appear unlikely to lead to more restrictive regulations for the 1995-96 season.

In fact, based on results of FWS's assessment of waterfowl harvests, further easing of hunting restrictions begun last season may be possible without hindering long-term recovery.

Ken Babcock, assistant director of the Missouri Department of Conservation, says he supports the proposed changes. "The new procedures use the vast amount of information we have gathered about harvest in the past to help us in the difficult job of managing duck populations," he says. "More important, they set the stage to learn even more in the future. That will allow more certainty, consistency and predictability in harvest management."

As in the past, the FWS' objective will be to maximize hunting opportunities consistent with the long-term recovery of duck populations. Under the new procedures, this objective will be balanced with the waterfowl population and habitat goals identified in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Hunting regulations would be least restrictive when duck populations meet or exceed the plan's objectives. However, depending on habitat conditions, the "liberal" option could still be chosen even if duck populations are below the plan's goals.

As a starting point for discussion of the proposed procedures, the FWS has suggested the objective of reaching a population of 8.1 million breeding mallards, as stipulated in the North American Plan. Flyway councils, states, hunters, conservation groups and others will have an opportunity to air their views on the proposal during the comment period and regulation-setting process.

One advantage of the proposed approach is that options for consideration would be established earlier in the regulatory process. This would give biologists more opportunity than they currently have to assess the impact of the various options on waterfowl.

Experts disagree about the extent to which hunting affects waterfowl numbers. Over time, the new procedures will resolve this long-standing controversy by making more effective use of harvest and population data from current waterfowl monitoring progress.

"It is important that everyone involved in setting these regulations -- the flyway councils, the states and the service -- have a clear concept of what options are on the table and the impact each will have on duck populations," Beattie said. "At the same time, hunters have a right to a clear idea of what the regulations for each season are and why they were adopted."

The proposed regulations appeared in the Federal Register March 24. Comments are requested, and should be sent to: Chief, (MBMO), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 634 Arlington Square, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.