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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.
> >>
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