Why It Matters: Tomorrow, November 5, those who haven’t voted early or by mail will flock to the polls to have their voice heard on Election Day. As we have reported previously, Floridians can enshrine the right to hunt and fish within their state constitution by voting “yes” on Amendment 2. If Amendment 2 receives over 60% of the vote, Florida will join 23 other states in protecting the rights of hunters and anglers and science-based fish and wildlife management in Florida for generations to come.
Highlights:
- Amendment 2 protects the rights of hunters and anglers in perpetuity and ensures that hunting and fishing continue to be the preferred means of managing wildlife populations with harvestable surpluses.
- Amendment 2 does not affect the constitutional authority of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to set seasons, bag limits, etc., nor does it affect private property rights or legalize methods of take that are currently illegal.
- Amendment 2 also further protects the $70+ million in funding for conservation that hunters and anglers generate each year in Florida through the American System of Conservation Funding.
The anti-sportsmen community has come out in force opposing Amendment 2 and is spreading misinformation about its impact. Their unfounded claims have ranged from the total abolishment of private property rights, the legalization of gill nets, and basically an all-out free for all on harvesting wildlife in Florida – disregarding the power of the FWC. These claims were refuted at the latest FWC meeting, where Chairman Barreto clarified with their Chief Conservation Officer and General Counsel that Amendment 2 would not lift the net ban nor would it impact the authority of the FWC in any way. Despite the FWC setting the record straight, these anti-sportsmen organizations continue to lead efforts to persuade the public to believe that hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife are a privilege, subject to emotionally driven public sentiments to alter policies and regulations. Amendment 2 ensures that the time-honored sporting traditions of Floridians as well as the future of science-based wildlife management through the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation are protected for generations to come.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was proud to play a part in developing the language and coordinating with the FWC, the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and so many other in-state and national partners to support Amendment 2. We encourage all Floridians to recognize the benefits that hunting and fishing have on wildlife conservation as well as the state and local economies and vote to protect our time-honored traditions for the foreseeable future. For more information on Amendment 2, please click here.
