No Fish Zones

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N o F i s h Z o n e s

Congress Aims to Protect Anglers’ Freedom to Fish

  Public access to the nation’s oceans 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 America’s 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 two
percent of all fish landed in U.S. ocean waters, some environmental groups are calling for
sport fishing to be eliminated ion anywhere from five to twenty percent of U.S. coastal
waters. These arbitrary figures have nothing to do with good science contend the
proponents of the Freedom To Fish Act.
   “The proponents are arbitrarily closing off these waters should be ashamed of
themselves for short changing America’s conservation-minded anglers,” says Mike
Nussman, ASA vice president. “Many no-fishing zones ban recreational fishing even when
science clearly shows that anglers are not causing a problem to the resources. That’s just
not smart management.”
   Nussman goes on to point out that recreational anglers are already by a strict set of
regulations ranging from closed seasons to catch limits to size limits and 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 Cummings, President of CCA, but arbitrary restriction of
recreational anglers merely displaces fishing effort, increases regulatory confusion,
increases user group conflicts and cast doubt on the entire fishery management process.
It is a disservice to all U.S. Citizens.
  Blanket marine closures take away the single most important element to sport fishing –
the public’s access to the water. The Freedom To Fish Act would establish common sense
guidelines and safeguards to preserve the public’s freedom to use and enjoy these
resources.
  According to the legislation, only in those cases where recreational fishing has
demonstrated adverse affects could be a specific, well-defined area be closed. Further,
once established targets are achieved, that area would reopen immediately to recreational
anglers. “Restricting public access to our coastal waters should not be our first course of
action, but rather our last,” concluded Senator Breaux.
   In the eyes of this angler/guide, I feel a major relief over this subject. The banning of
recreational fishing should be a last ditch effort to allow the stabilization of a resource.
With the help of the CCA and the ASA we are seeing our voices herd in Washington
through our elected officials. Lets keep the pressure on till the Freedom To Fish Act is
passed. We as anglers can no longer just be fisherman; we are the watchdogs of our
precious resource.
                                                           Capt. Dave Sutton