FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Freedom To Fish Act
>Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:53:39 EDT
>
>
><< FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Forbes Darby
>
> August 6, 2001 (703) 519-9691
>
> Congress Aims to Protect Anglers Freedom to Fish
>
> Bill responds to arbitrary nature of no-fishing zones
>
> (Alexandria, VA) Public access to the nations ocean and coastal
resources
> is being seriously threatened by the increased use of marine
protected
> areas. In response, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and
the
> Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) worked closely with
Congressional
> leaders on legislation to protect Americas 12 million saltwater
anglers.
> Late last week, Senators John Breaux (LA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison
(TX)
> reintroduced this legislation as the Freedom to Fish Act (S. 1314).
>
> From California to Florida, no fishing zones are increasingly
becoming
>the
> marine resource management tool of choice. While recreational
anglers
> account for just 2% of all the fish landed in US ocean waters, some
> environmental groups are calling for sport fishing to be eliminated
in
> anywhere from 5% to 20% of US coastal waters. These arbitrary
figures
>have
> nothing to do with good science contend the proponents of the
Freedom to
> Fish Act.
>
> "The proponents of arbitrarily closing off these areas should be
ashamed
>of
> themselves for short changing Americas conservation-minded anglers,"
says
> Mike Nussman, ASA vice president. "Many no-fishing zones ban
recreational
> fishing even when the science clearly shows that anglers are not
causing
>a
> problem to the resource. Thats just not smart management."
>
> Nussman goes on to point out that recreational anglers already are
>managed
> by a strict set of regulations ranging from closed seasons to catch
>limits
> to size limits and that when enforced correctly, these regulations
have
> proven to be effective at ensuring healthy fish stocks.
>
> "Time and area closures can be effective management tools when based
on
>good
> scientific data," said David Cummins, President of CCA, but
arbitrary
> restriction of recreational anglers merely displaces fishing effort,
> increases regulatory confusion, increases user group conflicts and
casts
> doubt on the entire fishery management process. It is a disservice
to all
> US citizens."
>
> Blanket marine closures take away the single most important element
to
>sport
> fishing - the publics access to the water. The Freedom to Fish Act
would
> establish common sense guidelines and safeguards to preserve the
publics
> freedom to use and enjoy these resources.
>
> According to the legislation, only in those cases where recreational
>fishing
> has demonstrable adverse effects could a specific, well-defined area
be
> closed. Further, once established targets were achieved, that area
would
> reopen immediately to recreational anglers.
>
> "Restricting public admission to our coastal waters should not be
our
>first
> course of action, but rather our last," concluded Senator Breaux.
> >>

Thanks for the post Marco. RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance, http://www.savefish.com) has also been very instrumental in this legislation, and is also currently lobbying for it. Please email Senators Boxer and Feinstein, or better yet call or snail mail them with your support of the FFA.

Barbara Boxer (D)
112 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20500
(202) 224-3553

Local Office
2250 E. Imperial Highway, Suite 545
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 414-5700

Dianne Feinstein (D)
331 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3841

Local Office
11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 915
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 914-7300

http://www.senate.gov/~boxer/

http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/

-Brian