It’s Time to Strengthen Menhaden Protections
This November, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has an opportunity to strengthen Atlantic menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay.
Draft Addendum II includes options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap, distribute harvest across the fishing season and regularly revisit the cap as new science becomes available.
For the sportfishing industry and recreational anglers up and down the East Coast, maintaining abundant menhaden is both a conservation and economic priority. Menhaden provide critical forage for striped bass, bluefish, red drum, cobia and other critically important sportfish, while also serving as one of the Atlantic Coast’s most important recreational baits.
The ASMFC is accepting public comment through October 9. Click the link below to learn more and urge the Commission to adopt science-based menhaden management.
Maine Bans Sale of Painted Lead Jigs and Sinkers Effective Sept. 1
As of September 1, anglers in Maine are prohibited from using painted lead jigs or sinkers that weigh one ounce or less or measure less than 2.5 inches in length to fish in inland waters. In 2023, Maine enacted legislation banning the sale and use of these jigs and sinkers; the ban on the sale of coated lead tackle took effect in 2024. Bans on the sale and use of bare, unpainted jigs have been in place since 2017.
The ban on the use of painted jigs and sinkers marks the latest restriction on traditional tackle in New England states. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York have similar restrictions on the sale and use of lead jigs and sinkers, despite significant cost and/or performance tradeoffs with alternative metals.
ASA led a coalition effort to oppose this legislation in 2023, and we remain committed to protecting access to traditional tackle across the country.
ASA Supports California Artificial Reef Program
California has been without an active artificial reef program for more than two decades, and ASA believes the science exists to begin building successful new reefs. The state recently released for public comment a draft California Artificial Reef Program Plan, which creates statewide guidance that could pave the way for future reefs that increase fish habitat, productivity and recreational fishing opportunities.
Properly designed and located artificial reefs can do more than simply attract fish. They can support recruitment, growth, reproduction and increased biomass. California projects such as Torrey Pines and Palos Verdes demonstrate that well designed reefs can provide measurable biological production. Strategically constructing artificial reefs based on the best available science is consistent with California’s broader conservation goals, as well.
Click the link below to read our full letter of support.
Bad Timing for Key Gulf Angler Economic Data to be Missing
NOAA Fisheries is no longer including durable goods expenditures, such as boats, trailers, electronics, and fishing tackle, in its state-level estimates of recreational fishing expenditures. As a result, the economic footprint of recreational fishing presented to the Gulf Council is significantly understated, at precisely the wrong time. With a new red snapper stock assessment underway and potentially consequential allocation decisions on the horizon, it is critical that recreational fishing’s full economic contribution is accurately represented.
Click the link below to read the full story from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and Coastal Conservation Association.
About The American Sportfishing Association
The American Sportfishing Association ((ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the sportfishing and boating industries as well as the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry and anglers a unified voice when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous, as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic, conservation and social values of sportfishing in America. ASA also gives America’s 57 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through Keep America Fishing, our national angler advocacy campaign. America’s anglers generate more than $50 billion in retail sales with a $230.5 billion impact on the nation’s economy, creating employment for 1.1 million people.
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