The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission hereby enter into a cooperative agreement to recognize the
sport fishing and hunting licenses and the commercial fishing licenses of the
two states on the flowing waters of the Mississippi River, adjacent sloughs,
bayous, and old river runs which are accessible by boat from the River proper,
and the old river chutes forming a common boundary, excluding wildlife
management areas established by either state and the Wolf, Loosehatchie,
Hatchie, Forked Deer, and Obion Rivers, in accordance with the following
provisions.
A. Sport Fishing
A sport fishing licensee shall abide by all laws, rules,
regulations and proclamations of the state in which they are fishing. Exception
to that being Tennessee/Arkansas sportfishers on Ikes Chute, Hopefield Chute
(Dacus Lake), Mosquito Lake, Mound City Lake, Island 40 Chute and Lake Neark,
who shall comply with Arkansas Game & Fish Commission regulations governing
sportfish creel and size limits.
B. Commercial Fishing
A resident commercial fishing licensee shall abide by all laws,
rules, regulations and proclamations of the state in which they are fishing.
Arkansas resident commercial fishers fishing commercial tackle in Tennessee
waters under the terms of this agreement shall comply with Tennessee commercial
tackle tagging requirements. Tennessee resident commercial fisher's tackle
tagging requirements are legal in Arkansas under the terms of this
agreement.
C. Hunting
(Migratory
waterfowl only)
Migratory waterfowl may be hunted upon the waters described
herein by a licensee of either state during the period when the season is open
and coincidental in both states, and shall abide by the laws, rules and
regulations and proclamations of the state in which they are hunting. For the
purpose of waterfowl hunting, the state line will be that depicted on the
Department of Interior's Geological Survey quadrangles.
D. A person holding a non-resident
license/permit issued by either state shall be afforded the same privileges as
a licensed/permitted resident of that state except for commercial fishing
purposes. Persons holding non-resident Tennessee commercial fishers licenses
are not allowed to commercial fish or to assist/help in commercial fishing in
Arkansas under the terms of this agreement
E. Licensees of either state shall have
unrestricted ingress and egress through the other state for the purpose of
hunting and fishing in accordance with the provisions of this agreement, except
for areas and ramps closed by law to commercial fishing gear or activities.
Hunters and fishermen licensed in only one state cannot hunt or fish in the
tributaries, bayous, or backwaters of the Mississippi River in the other state
except as specifically provided herein. Hunters or fishers cannot hunt or fish
from, nor attach any device or equipment to private property, in either state
without the landowner's permission.
Nothing herein shall be construed to allow any person to hunt,
fish, or go upon the lands of another landowner or entity without their
permission. Floodwater which has overflowed the natural banks of a public
waterway is not part of the public waterway and permission of the landowner
must be obtained.
It shall be incumbent on each individual hunter or fisherman to
identify the state line.
This agreement may be cancelled by the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency's Executive Director or the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission's Director upon sixty (60) days written notice.
