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U.S. President Bush Goes Fishing |
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An amendment to Executive Order 12962, issued by President George W. Bush on Sept. 26, 2008, is the most significant protection of recreational fishing in more than three decades, according to The Center for Coastal Conservation.
First issued on June 7, 1995 by President Clinton, the original EO 12962 promoted increased recreational fishing opportunities and established the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, among other matters.
President Bush’s amended Order states that “…recreational fishing shall be managed as a sustainable activity in national wildlife refuges, national parks, national monuments, national marine sanctuaries, marine protected areas, or any other relevant conservation or management area or activities made under any federal authority, consistent with applicable law.”
The amendment was prompted by increasing conflicts between existing mandates for conservation and recreation. Use of No Fishing Zones as a way to manage fish and fishermen in recent years put vast areas off-limits to recreational fishing. President Bush’s revised EO establishes a national policy ensuring that recreational fishing cannot be excluded under any federal authority unless doing so is necessary to manage the area.
Under the amendment, federal managers now have a mandate to take affirmative action to provide citizens the opportunity to fish recreationally. The impact on federally owned lands like national parks is dramatic. For example, if a park becomes so popular that vehicle access to the park is a problem, the solution under the old mandate could have been to stop all access. The new EO prevents such a move by directing federal managers to do what is necessary to sustain recreational fishing in the park.
Restrictions on season, size, and bag limit, as well as catch-and-release only zones, may still be employed to maintain a sustainable fishery. However, this EO says that solving a conservation problem by excluding angling shall be the last resort, not the first choice.
The Center for Coastal Conservation, American Sportfishing Association, and Coastal Conservation Association are among the marine stewards who support the new amendment.
Learn more at www.CoastalConservation.us
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