Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Denies Baitfish Ban Petition
Last week, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission denied a petition that would have banned the importation of live baitfish into the state, a move applauded by the sportfishing industry. While there was interest from some commissioners in adopting restrictions, cooler heads prevailed.
The effort to ban the importation of live bait has popped up in various states this year, including New Hampshire and New York. We expect this trend to continue, despite the lack of evidence pointing to any ecosystem-scale harm.
Read ASA’s testimony on the position below.
ASMFC Maintains Status Quo for Striped Bass in 2025 While Considering Changes for 2026
The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 for public comment, aiming to rebuild the striped bass stock by 2029. The addendum addresses lower rebuilding chances due to changes in the 2024 MRIP catch data where final estimates were higher than preliminary estimates, demonstrating continued uncertainty in the recreational catch data used for management. It proposes a 12% reduction in fishery removals starting in 2026 through commercial quota cuts and recreational season closures.
The Draft Addendum will be posted to the ASMFC website in late August, and a subsequent release will provide the public hearing schedule and instructions for submitting written comments.
Click below to read the ASMFC meeting summary.
CBP Releases Updated De Minimis FAQ’s
Last month, President Trump signed Executive Order 14324 which suspends duty-free de minimis treatment for products valued at less than $800 from all countries. The EO takes effect on August 29 and puts American companies on equal footing with international manufacturers, many of which use de minimis to avoid paying the federal excise tax on sportfishing equipment.
Customs and Border Protection released an updated FAQ document last week that provides more guidance to companies on how to comply with the EO. Click the link below to read more.
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 55 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 nearly $50 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for 800,000 people.
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