Here we go again with animal right activists who want to change how we fish and hunt in New Jersey. However, before I go further with this column, a brief explanation of the NJ Fish & Game Council is needed to better understand its important role in managing freshwater fishing and hunting in our state.
The Fish & Game Council has 11 members appointed by our Governor and with the consent of Senate members. The composition of this council includes three farmers, six sportsmen, a member of the Endangered and Non-Game Species and one Public Member. These members are chosen to be on this council because of their extensive background and knowledge of fishing, hunting and land use and soil conservation. They are selected from different regions of our state to ensure broad representation. In regard to fishing and hunting, they establish regulations that govern these sports that include but are not limited to permits, seasons, bag limits, and the number of wildlife that can be harvested. In short, the NJ Fish & Game Council manages all freshwater fishing and hunting that occurs in our state. Any changes to the composition of this council can and most likely will have a direct impact on the management of fishing and hunting in New Jersey.
During 2007, Assemblyman Panter and Senator Karcher introduced bills to reduce the number of council members from 11 to 7 and include representation from animal rights activists. Alarmed that fishing and hunting opportunities would be curtailed, anglers and hunters joined forces throughout the state to defeat these bills. Rallies were held throughout the state to oppose these bills and I remember attending one at the Clarksburg Inn in Millstone Township on October 28th that drew 800 men and women. I and others spoke at this rally to oppose changing the Fish & Game Council and it was so exciting to see anglers and hunters join together to stop threats that would ultimately destroy their fishing and hunting opportunities. These bills were defeated and even the politicians who pandered to the animal right activists over us anglers and hunters in our state were ultimately voted out of office!
Fast forward to 2025, just when you thought that this threat to the Fish & Game Council would not happen again, bills A6055 and S4893 are moving through our legislature and pushed primarily by former Senator Raymond Lesniak who has championed having animal right activists on the Fish & Game Council for many years. Under this bill, three sportsmen from the Fish& Game Council would be replaced by animal welfare advocates. Council members who have considerable knowledge of conserving wildlife for conservation would be replaced by members who would advocate animal welfare over wildlife management. For example, seasons to hunt deer could be curtailed or fishing seasons reduced under this new type of management. Seasons for bear hunting would also be curtailed or stopped outright even though the population of bears has exploded in certain sections of our state causing crop damage and posing threats to humans. During 2007 we had some time to organize opposition to the Panter/Karcher threat. This time the new bills are being advanced during the Lame Duck Session of Governor Murphy leaving us not much time to organize opposition to these bills. During the Lame Duck session, bills can be approved by Unanimous Consent when speakers of both the Assembly and Senate along with the Governor agree to pass a bill. The Lame Duck session ends on January 15, 2026. As I write this column, there has been a groundswell of opposition to these bills by anglers and hunters, but I do not know yet if these bills have been defeated or passed.
I do want to share an experience that I had with an animal right activist when I testified in Trenton to the Senate Environmental Committee to pass the “Hooked on Fishing not on Drugs” bill. The purpose of this bill is to take youths from inner cities on fishing trips and away from the drug scene. I told the committee that my fishing club (Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County) sponsors youths on an annual fishing trip and these youths enjoy fishing so much. I related how a 14-year-old girl told me that she could not fish and, with a little encouragement from me, she was catching fish and was so excited about it. She told me at the end of the trip that “this day is not going to end is it?” The committee approved the” Hooked on Fishing not on Drugs” bill and disregarded the testimony of the animal right activist opposing it. When I was about to leave the animal right activist came up to my face and angrily accused me of teaching kids how to kill fish and I should be ashamed of taking kids on a day of fishing.
Imagine if these types of people gained control of the Fish & Game Council. Fishing and hunting in our state would certainly die a slow death under their control.
Legislators to contact to oppose A6055 and S4893
