R657-52-4. Certificate of Registration Availability

(1) The Wildlife Board, after considering the best available biological data and other information received from the division and the public, has determined that:

(a) a limitation on the number of certificates of registration issued by the division to harvest brine shrimp and brine shrimp eggs is currently necessary to protect the brine shrimp resource and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem;

(b) additional research and scientific data is necessary to adequately understand the dynamics of the brine shrimp populations, the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, and the impact harvesting has on the sustainability of the resource;

(c) given the current number of certificates of registration, the need for additional scientific data, and the increasing efficiency in the industry's ability to harvest large quantities of brine shrimp and brine shrimp eggs in short periods, the issuance of additional certificates at this point in time may compromise the division's ability to effectively regulate the harvest to avoid jeopardizing resource sustainability; and

(d) given these factors and the harvest restrictions adopted in this rule, a total of 79 certificates of registration may be issued.