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(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association July 2000 Newsletter)
The JCAA and many other recreational
businesses and organizations signed on to a letter to President William Clinton expressing
our concerns about his Executive Order on Marine Protected Areas issued May 26, 2000. The American Sportfishing Association coordinated
this effort. I attended a meeting of the ASA
Saltwater Committee April 18. I am a member
of this committee representing JCAA. As a
result of this meeting ASA drafted the letter and recruited signatures during National
Fishing Week. JCAA is aware of the problems
this Executive Order is causing in Florida and Georgia and the potential for additional
problems in other areas. We will be
contacting our legislators to express our concerns.
Following is a copy of the letter and a list of organizations that have
signed.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Across the country, half a million
Americans are currently celebrating the 21st annual National Fishing Week. While these
thousands of families are outside taking advantage of this opportunity to have a fun time
together while learning about aquatic conservation, they have little idea that this right
is quietly being taken from them under the guise of marine protection.
The undersigned members of the sport
fishing community would like to express our concern over your Executive Order on Marine
Protected Areas issued May 26, 2000. While we share your desire to protect marine
resources, we believe that the total no-take mechanism for achieving this goal would have
serious unintended effects on the sport fishing public, industry and coastal communities
that rely on these anglers and their business. Speaking on behalf of the more than 45
million recreational anglers and members of the sport fishing industry, we respectfully
ask you to reconsider your proposal prohibiting the public from accessing significant
areas of our nation's oceans and coasts.
Should your executive order be fully
implemented, the single most important element to sport fishing, the public's access to
the water, would be significantly restricted. As it relates to recreational fishing, this
open access principle is broadly accepted on federal lands and waters including wildlife
refuges, national parks, wilderness areas, and the exclusive economic zone. Our shared
goal of marine abundance on a sustainable basis may be achieved by allowing recreational
fishing by the general public on equal terms for all citizens, using whatever limits are
necessary to realize this goal. This policy already is extremely effective in many areas
such as the Everglades National Park and Yellowstone.
Without places to fish, this industry
withers and along with it, substantial economic and fisheries conservation benefits.
Although often under appreciated, recreational fishing makes a significant contribution to
the local, state and national economies. According to recent economic figures, sport
fishing infuses $108 annually into the national economy. Many local coastal communities
rely heavily on the nearly 10 million saltwater anglers and the considerable amount of
money that they spend on their sport.
By denying the public's access to
recreational fishing, a vital stream of funding for conservation projects evaporates.
Through the payment of federal excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat fuel, as well
as license fees, sport anglers contribute well over $750 million annually to state
fisheries conservation management programs and projects. In this way, recreational anglers
are considered the first marine conservationists. Further through catch-and-release
fisheries and other non-lethal fishing techniques, we have continued to demonstrate a
strong conservation ethic.
As you may be aware, it's not easy
catching fish with a hook and line. The experience" is what our sport and the
industry that it supports depend on. Believe us, this nation's anglers and industry
leaders realize just how important abundant populations of fish and healthy habitat are,
for without those, the enjoyment of our sport suffers. As such, we applaud your recent
effort on behalf of marine fisheries. While we agree with your goals, we have serious
reservations for your method of attaining healthy fisheries.
We maintain that there are other,
less draconian measures that can effectively be used to manage marine recreational
fisheries. These include catch limits, minimum size requirements and closed seasons. It
makes no sense to prohibit the general public from angling when proper management can
achieve abundance goals and still allow the large socioeconomic benefits of recreational
fishing.
South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana
are among states where fish populations actually are growing at this time because of
progressive management techniques such as the elimination of large-scale netting and
implementation of strict size and bag limits. As a consequence, recreational anglers are
the strongest advocates for the resource. Certainly there is no good reason to block them
out for ill-advised no take zones.
While we believe that the public's
access to our nation's waters should be preserved, there may be some rare cases when
universally restricting the public to a small, well-defined area may be necessary. Such an
effort should be considered as a last resort only, not the silver bullet solution some
propose. Further, to help protect the public, any such effort should include the following
common-sense principles:
Ensure that recreational anglers are
actively involved in any procedures that contemplate restrictions on their access to
places to fish;
Establish closed areas that are no
larger in size than that which is supported by the best available science;
Set criteria to measure the
conservation benefit on the affected stocks and periodically review such progress towards
this goal;
Provide assurance that the area is
reopened to the public when conditions improve to a pre-established level.
Our goal to ensure healthy marine
fish populations for the American public seems to be in accordance with the intent of your
executive order. However, we believe the public's access does not need to be sacrificed
for this aim. Your proposal cuts right to the heart of what recreational fishing is all
about and our community is united in the concern over the consequences of blanket
closures. It is our sincere hope that the sport fish community can reach agreement with
the Department of Commerce and Department of Interior on the best way to protect marine
fisheries while ensuring the public's right to fish for sport. Your staff may contact any
of the undersigned individuals with questions regarding the position of the sport fishing
community on marine protected areas. We hope we can work together to restore our valuable
marine fisheries.
American Fishing Tackle Company,
American Recreation Coalition, American Fly Fishing Trade Association, American Rod and
Gun, American Sportfishing Association, Big Rock Sports, Inc., Boone Tackle Company,
Boston Whaler Inc., Coastal Conservation Association, Flambeau Products Corp., Florida
Sportsman Magazine, Fountain Power Boats, Grady-White Boats, Half Hitch Tackle Company,
Inc., International Game Fish Association, Jersey Coast Anglers Association, Kaplan
Associates, Lamiglass, Inc., Mako Marine International, Inc., Marine Retailers Association
of America, Mercury Marine, National Marine Manufacturere Association, Normark
Corporation, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Patagonia, Inc., Penn Fishing
Tackle Manufacturing Company, Recreational Fishing Alliance, Saltwater Sportsman Magazine,
SeaCraft, Sport Fishing Magazine, Sportfishing Association of California, Stren, Triton
Boat Company, Wallcraft Marine. Yakima Bait Company
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