News Category: Fisheries

August 24, 2026

Landmark Ruling Reached in North Carolina Coastal Fisheries Lawsuit  

Why It Matters: The Public Trust Doctrine establishes that wildlife resources are owned by the public and are to be managed by government agencies for the benefit of the public. This key principle is a core tenant of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation which is widely renowned as the most successful model of […]

August 21, 2026

North Carolina Court Ruling Demonstrates the Power of Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish Protections

Wake County, NC – A landmark North Carolina court ruling has provided one of the most significant validations to date of the power that constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish protections can provide for America’s sportsmen and women.  On August 17, the Wake County Superior Court ruled in favor of the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA NC) and […]

August 17, 2026

New South Atlantic Red Snapper EFPs Offer Viable Path to Better Management 

Why It Matters: The South Atlantic’s recreational red snapper fishery has long been hampered by uncertainty surrounding estimates of recreational catch, effort, and discards. Three new Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) applications from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina offer an opportunity to address that challenge by pairing additional fishing opportunity in the month of October with enhanced, state-based data collection. If […]

August 10, 2026

Several CSF Fisheries Priorities Still in Play as Congress Returns 

Why It Matters: With Congress entering the final months of the 119th Congress, the legislative calendar is rapidly shrinking. While many bills will compete for limited floor time, several bipartisan fisheries priorities supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) remain well positioned for action before lawmakers adjourn. Whether improving angler access, addressing shark depredation, or advancing marine habitat conservation, […]

July 27, 2026

Beyond Shark Week: Congress and NOAA Seek Solutions to Shark Depredation  

Why It Matters: Shark depredation has become a significant and growing challenge for recreational saltwater anglers and commercial fishermen, affecting fishing success, increasing fish mortality, and creating frustration on the water. While Congress is on the verge of approving landmark legislation to coordinate research and management recommendations, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries recently announced the formation of […]

July 24, 2026

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Celebrates Defeat of Oregon’s Extreme Anti-Hunting and Fishing Ballot Initiative

(July 24, 2026) – Salem, OR – The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) today celebrated the failure of Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), the so-called “People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act,” after the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division announced the measure failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the November 3, […]

July 20, 2026

Twenty Years of Partnership for Healthier Fish Habitat and Better Fishing Opportunities

Why It Matters: Healthy aquatic habitats are the foundation of abundant, sustainable fisheries and ample fishing opportunities for America’s anglers. For two decades, the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) has united federal and state agencies, fishing conservation organizations, industry, local communities, and private landowners behind a common goal: restoring, protecting, and enhancing the waters that support fish and […]

Fisherman holding up small mouth bass
July 13, 2026

KISS: Keep It Simple, Sportsmen

Why It Matters: The longevity of our time-honored outdoor traditions, and the critical American System of Conservation Funding that these traditions support, depend upon consistent participation by sportsmen and women. Recruitment efforts surrounding popular hunting and angling opportunities are effective but can carry a high cost of entry for beginning sportsmen and women. However, simple outdoor pursuits, such as small game hunting and bream […]

June 22, 2026

The Gulf Showed the Way. The South Atlantic Still Awaits Their Chance. 

Why It Matters: For over a decade, South Atlantic red snapper anglers have been trapped in a management system that routinely relies on federal recreational catch data that consistently misses even the National Marine Fisheries Service’s mark for useable data. This year, a state-led effort to collect more accurate and timely catch information through exempted fishing permits (EFPs) offered a […]

June 22, 2026

Spring and Summer Free Fishing Days Conclude in the Great Lakes 

Why It Matters: Although sportsmen and women are the backbone of conservation funding through their license and sporting gear purchases, states offer brief, limited opportunities to fish without purchasing a license in an effort to grow the base of anglers.  Highlights:  With summer officially upon us, almost all of the statehouses in the Great Lakes region have emptied their chambers of legislators while nearby […]

June 15, 2026

Commercial Menhaden Industry Accountability Bills Signed into Law – A Major Win for Recreational Anglers in Louisiana 

Why It Matters: The 2026 legislative session has recently adjourned in Louisiana, and lawmakers took action on one of the most important fisheries management issues facing the state: commercial menhaden harvest. Following years of concern from recreational anglers, coastal communities, and conservation advocates, several bills were introduced and signed into law to improve transparency, accountability, and management of […]

June 8, 2026

Needed Conservation Funding on Hold in the Granite State

Why It Matters: Last month New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) conducted a series of listening and comment sessions concerning long overdue license fee increases. The “user pays – public benefits” structure known as the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF) provides critical annual funding for the NHFG to manage fish, wildlife, and other public trust […]