Norm Schultz: For dealers in 38 coastal states who depend on successfully selling boats to saltwater anglers, the good news is that a serious push is on to improve the often misguided policies that currently manage our fisheries. In an unprecedented effort, a blue ribbon commission of biologists, economists, conservationists, fisheries managers, industry experts and policymakers have issued a first-of-its-kind report with recommendations for improving saltwater fisheries management while keeping it sustainable and healthy.
“A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries” has been a year in the making. It tackles the nation’s most important fisheries management issues. It comes at a time when the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs the nation’s marine fisheries, is again up for congressional reauthorization. The report takes on even more importance when we realize the previous reauthorization of Magnuson-Stevens in 2007 has resulted in serious problems, especially for recreational anglers.
There is no doubt that our saltwater customers have had to deal with regulations clearly written to favor commercial fishing. For example, red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico is closed — or is it? Florida Sportsman publisher Karl Wickstrom has reported that the feds are allowing 17 headboats to take out hundreds of anglers for red snapper fishing during the closure. Keep reading…..
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