Under the authority of the Antiquities Act, the Obama Administration is currently considering the establishment of a National Marine Monument off the coast of New England that would protect three deep-sea canyons and four sea mounts. Though the area under consideration is far off shore, the waters above these canyons and sea mounts do provide important recreational fishing opportunities for species such as yellowfin tuna, swordfish, marlin, mahi mahi and several other migratory species. While the proposed monument primarily seeks to protect a sensitive bottom habitat, some organizations are calling for a complete, though unnecessary, closure of all fishing within the potential monument.
On September 16, state sportsmen’s caucus leaders from five New England states sent a letter to the Managing Director of the Center for Environmental Quality, the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urging that any monument declaration does not arbitrarily deny access to their recreational anglers. “Any decisions involving the management of our nation’s fisheries must be based on sound science, with strong public participation and measurable goals and outcomes. The New England Fisheries Management Council has already undergone this extensive process and implemented regulations to protect much of the same habitat the proposed monument seeks to protect. Should the Administration move forward with the proposed monument, any restrictions to recreational fishing should mirror the scientifically justified and publicly vetted regulations already in place,” the letter stated.
Recreational fishing organizations, including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, also submitted a letter asking that the Administration continue their precedent of excluding prohibitions to recreational angling from marine monument designations. “The tremendous popularity of recreational fishing and the accompanying benefits it provides to the nation have been achieved through a management system that strives for healthy and abundant fisheries resources and ample public access to those resources… Should the Obama Administration move forward with this proposed marine monument, we strongly urge that it uphold our nation’s fisheries management principles and allow for responsibly regulated recreational fishing to take place.”
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
