In Final Days Obama Leaves Anglers in the Lurch buy ordering a Fishing Tackle Ban
One day before President Barack Obama left office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued an edict that will ban common fishing tackle on federal land under its control by January 2022.
Marko Mlikotin, executive director of the California Sportfishing League, California’s leading advocate for recreational angling, stated, “Banning fishing tackle on federal controlled lands will have a profound impact on California communities dependent on recreational fishing for outdoor tourism and jobs. Had President Obama placed science before politics, this reckless regulation would not have been ordered one day before President Trump took office.”
The edict will have an even greater impact on communities within and around lands controlled by the FWS. California has 26 national parks and 47,797,533 acres of federal land or 47.7% of the state’s landmass.
Given the Trump Administration’s ability to revoke the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Director Order No. 219, the California Sportfishing League has launched an online petition that can be found at www.sportfishingconservation.org and Facebook.com/CASportfishingLeague
“The FWS edict is contrary to the position of Obama’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that concluded that common fishing tackle did not pose an unreasonable risk to the environment,” said Mlikotin.
The California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) has proposed regulations that will have the effect of making the manufacturing and use of common fishing tackle in California illegal. The proposed regulations are opposed by nearly every major small business, tourism and hospitality organization.
Recreational fishing contributes over $4.9 billion annually to California’s economy, a major source of outdoor recreation, tourism and jobs. The California Sportfishing League is a nonprofit coalition of fresh and saltwater anglers, and small business owners devoted to protecting access to recreational fishing, and the leading opponent of additional fishing tackle regulations.