PrintFishing Community Stands United - Administration Assures Cooperation
June 4, 2008: Washington, DC
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) hosted a Capitol Hill briefing, sponsored by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), where members of Congress, leaders of major fishing organizations and industry representatives were informed about the threat to recreational fishing by Marine Protected Area (MPAs).
Attendees were welcomed by CSC Co-Chairman Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) and former CSC Chairman, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL). The Representatives reiterated the CSC's commitment to advancing sportsmen's issues in Congress and shared their recent personal fish tales and hunting yarns. Rep. Putnam highlighted the economic impact of fishing in Florida, pointing out that fishermen spend 3 times more than the receipts of Florida's orange crop and support more jobs than Disney World.
Gordon Robertson, Vice President of ASA and a member of the CSF Board, noted that MPAs are loosely defined as an area of the ocean set aside for special protections based on biological, social or cultural reasons. An MPA is not necessarily a no-fishing zone, although some types of MPAs may prohibit sportfishing. Other types may restrict commercial activities, while sportfishing, boating and other forms of recreation are permitted.
Robertson's concern is that the recent establishment of MPAs is increasingly leading to the creation of restrictive ‘no-take' Marine Reserves, resulting in significant permanent closures for recreational fishing, especially in saltwater. Consequently, recreational anglers are being blocked out of miles of prime fishing areas. When relating the concerns of the recreational fishing community, he said the most disturbing aspect of MPAs is that they attempt to manage habitat through preservation and ignore proven existing management techniques and practices.
Summarizing the position held by the stakeholders in the fishing community, Robertson said, "The recreational fishing community will work to ensure that MPA's are designated only when based on the best science available after public input is considered and thereafter monitored and revisited to ensure their effectiveness."
Phil Morlock, Director of Environmental Affairs for Shimano, the world's leading manufacturer of fishing tackle, has been involved in the issue of MPAs since the beginning and spoke about MPAs as the "single greatest threat to the fishing tackle industry". He noted that when anglers are denied access, they stop buying licenses and fishing tackle. The result is that less money is available to the states for fisheries management programs.
Morlock called some of the reasons for establishing MPAs "thin science" and regarding the justification for protecting certain sites said, "Science is replaced by a public relations campaign." Morlock affirmed, "We (the fishing community) can do it better; we always have."
Representing the Administration, Kameran Onley, DOI Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, guaranteed the audience that the Administration would consult the fishing community on the establishment of MPAs and that the Administration is "no way looking to lock off large sections from recreational fishing." She also pointed out that 85% of MPAs are state-driven actions.
"It is the long-standing policy of this administration to allow public access for recreational fishing on our public lands and waters where this is compatible with the purpose of the area and the population status of the fishery resources." Onley stated. "We work diligently to ensure that all of our fishery management decisions are rooted in sound science that is applied in a manner that reflects the information we gather through open and transparent discussions with the public."
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation continues to work with its partners in the fishing community to inform and educate key decision makers and integral parties, of the of the societal value of sport fishing in an effort to maximize the conservation benefit of marine protected areas to the environment while minimizing unwarranted closures of coastal waters to sportfishing. Marine protected areas should be designated only when scientifically-based, via a transparent, open process, and should be monitored and revised as necessary to ensure effectiveness.
