On October 5, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 (H.R. 2706). This legislation is beneficial for the conservation of billfish populations. Billfish (marlin, sailfish and spearfish) populations have declined severely due to overfishing by non-U.S. commercial fishing fleets. In an effort to conserve billfish, the Billfish Conservation Act prohibits the sale of these Pacific-caught billfish, except in the State of Hawaii, out of respect for traditional fisheries. Championed by leaders of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, this legislation passed both the House and the Senate on a bipartisan basis. Click here for more information on the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012.
On August 24, 2012, CSF and 8 other conservation organizations submitted a letter to the House leadership urging them to support the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012.
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?
