From Florida to California and everywhere in between, fishing is under attack. Loss of access to prime fishing spots, unwarranted bag limit reductions and shortened seasons, and restrictions on tackle are all issues our grandparents wouldn’t have dreamed of. And even if there’s nothing going on in your area today, rulings across the country are setting dangerous precedents that could affect you tomorrow.
Stay informed about the issues that affect fishermen across the country and make your voice heard.
Don’t Close California Public Waters
Legislation is on the move in California that puts your recreational fishing access at risk.
DESCEND Act of 2019
To improve survival rates for released Gulf of Mexico reef fish such as snapper and grouper, the DESCEND Act has been introduced in Congress and needs your support.
Striped Bass
Striped bass are arguably the most popular saltwater fish on the Atlantic coast and are now at an incredibly important juncture.
Biscayne National Park
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has worked with the Park to develop a new plan that would improve the condition of the Park’s fisheries
Pebble Mine and Bristol Bay
If developed, Pebble Mine would devastate Bristol Bay’s recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing industries, which are collectively worth hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
Ethanol – A Problem for Anglers
Did you know that the higher the level of ethanol in your fuel, the more likely you are to destroy your engine?
Keep California Waters Free of Drift Gillnets
Nowhere but California are wasteful drift gillnets allowed. It’s time that California catches up with the rest of the country, and many other parts of the world, and recognizes that drift gillnets have no place in our marine waters.
Forage Fish Conservation Act
A new bill will help to ensure the smaller fish in the ocean that serve as the food source for most marine sportfish, known as forage fish, will be sustainably managed.
Pledge to Pitch It!
Everyone loves fishing with soft plastic lures. Let’s keep our favorite fishing spots clean by properly disposing of worn-out baits.
Keep Florida Fishing
Our mission is to ensure Florida’s resident anglers and visitors have abundant fisheries, clean water and access to both. But we need your help.
Support the Natural Resources Management Act
The Natural Resources Management Act, officially known as S.47, would improve fishing access and enhance conservation efforts all over the country.
New Bill Threatens the Future of Fishing in Maine
Every hook and lure in your tackle box could become illegal.
Improving Federal Saltwater Fisheries Management
The laws that guide federal saltwater fisheries management are up for reauthorization, and sportfishing needs to be a focus.
Everglades
For the last 30+ years, people have been talking about how to “re-plumb” the Everglades. Today, the water management issues in south Florida are as complex as ever.
Gillnets
Gillnets are nonselective gear that often catch far more than the species being targeted.
Support the HELP for Wildlife Act
This bill is good news for anglers, hunters, and anyone who loves the outdoors.
Menhaden – The Most Important Fish in the Sea
Menhaden, often described as “the oily little fish nobody eats,” are a key source of food for sportfish species like striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, king mackerel, and cobia.
Right To Hunt and Fish
Twenty-one states now have constitutional amendments guaranteeing the right to hunt and fish with several more pending.
California Lead Ban
Legislation has been introduced in the State Assembly that will ban the purchase of lead fishing weights and sinkers weighing 1.75 ounces or less. For most anglers, this ban covers just about every sinker and weight in your tackle box.
Protect the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Home to walleye, pike, smallmouth bass, trout, and panfish, the Boundary Waters is a fisherman’s paradise. But that could all change if leases are granted for proposed sulfide mines.
Gulf Red Snapper
Federal mismanagement of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery has led to shortened seasons, in-fighting, and controversy.
Sportsmen’s Act
For several years, different versions of the Sportsmen’s Act have been working their way through Congress but were never signed into law.
Save California Salmon and Sportfish
Years of drought have caused huge problems in California and the resulting battles over water rights have left salmon caught in the middle.
Summer Flounder
NOAA Fisheries is considering cutting the 2017 summer flounder quotas by up to 40%. While all anglers support conservation, this decision seems rushed and unnecessary.
Take Back New Jersey’s Reefs
New Jersey’s artificial reefs were built using recreational fishing dollars but anglers often find them unfishable due to conflicts with commercial gear.
Invasive Species
The spread of Asian carp and other invasive species must be stopped before they endanger our precious fisheries.
Port Everglades
As the Fishing Capitol of the World, Florida’s reefs are precious to anglers as home to a diverse array of sportfish.
Attention Vermont Residents – Your Fishing Rights Could Disappear
The City of Montpelier is attempting to change the laws that protect your rights to hunt, fish and recreate on our public waters.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna
Earlier this year, several environmental groups filed a petition to list the Pacific bluefin tuna as threatened or endangered via the Endangered Species Act.
REC Act
The Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016, better known as the REC Act, forces the government to recognize outdoor recreation as a massive economic driver.
Saving Hatteras Surf Fishing
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC has a proposal currently open for review that could result in significant improvements to recreational fishing access in the park. Fishermen like you need to weigh in or risk being ignored.
New England Marine National Monuments
Anti-fishing groups are demanding areas off the New England coast be designated as “fully protected marine monuments.” What they really mean is NO-FISHING ZONES.
Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
Did you know that every time you buy a lure, a tackle box, or gas for your boat, you are funding fishing and boating programs?
Possible Fishing Closures in the Florida Keys
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is currently developing changes to its General Management Plan that may significantly impact recreational fishing access.
Rigs to Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico
Offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico serve as huge vertical reefs offering structure and coral where otherwise there would be only barren, smooth bottom.
Efforts To Ban Lead in Fishing Tackle
The Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act was introduced in Congress to ensure that any future regulations on fishing tackle are established based on scientific data, not unjustified petitions.
Improving Fisheries Habitat Across the Nation
Healthy waterways and robust fish populations are vital to the well-being of our society. Unfortunately, in many waters across the country, fish and the habitats on which they depend are in decline.