The recreational fishing sector is moving forward on federal and state legislative levels to protect this extremely large fishing sector from being closed out of any Marine Protected Area that may be established.  In New England, the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary may be a prime example of where these types of no fishing areas could be proposed.  Even closer to home, the recently established Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force will be working on establishing an “ocean policy” for Massachusetts state waters.  Here, too, the spectre of proposing no fishing reserves is looming behind some of the more obvious concerns such as alternative energy windmill projects, coastal pollution, pipelines and sand mining.

These legislative initiatives to exempt any recreational fishing from closures is taking the form of the Freedom to Fish Act on the federal level.  Here in Massachusetts, the proposed legislation is called an Act Relative to Preserving Fishing Rights in the Commonwealth.

 It was interesting that the recreational fishing sector has contacted the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, as well as other commercial fishing sector groups, to enlist their support for getting the legislation passed.  Remember, these recreational groups already represent hundreds of thousands of fishermen along the coast.  It was encouraging that the major recreational groups intend to include commercial fishing in these bills.  It should be noted here that not all recreational fishermen support adding “commercial” to what they consider “their bill”.  Their leaders, however, have apparently recognized that their real enemy here is not the commercial sector but rather the conservation – Save Everything Crowd.

 Including the commercial fishing sector in this legislation, both in Washington and at the state level, makes sense.  We are all in the same leaky boat on this one.  The commercial industry has expressed its willingness to support this legislation provided the commercial sector’s interests are included. 

 There is more at stake here then just who can drop a hook, or troll, or set fishing gear within some non-descript body of water.  There is the whole issue of why fishing is done and what impacts it has on society.

 Communities along the coast depend on fishing.  There are families, jobs, incomes, support industries, seafood products for the non-fishing public and yes, recreational opportunities that provide pleasure for citizens and support the tourist industry.  There are more reasons to keep the ocean open then to close sections down.  Any areas that could possibly be subjected to a closure would disrupt any balance that exists as to where people can go to fish.  It can also affect a local community’s economy.  Local town harbors with small boat fleets could end up being isolated and miles away from open areas.  All this is, of course, speculation but an action needs to be taken to protect against this ever happening.

 Marine resources are already managed, as we all know, through hundreds of fishing rules and some even now include closed areas for management purposes.  Those management measures are enough.

 Those in the conservation “industry” who are proponents of no-fishing marine reserves should not be able to get away with closing one ocean area after another regardless of the social and economic impacts on the rest of society.  They repeatedly try to do this so they can extol their “success” in supposedly saving the ocean and thereby collect more donations to continue their sacred quest.  Their quest is, to save more somethings and collect more donations.

 We would urge our state and federal legislators to first make sure the commercial fishing sector is included in these legislative bills and then, secondly, to support passage of the legislation and see it through.  It is very important that the commercial and recreational fishing sectors continue to have the freedom to go fishing, certainly, within the bounds of the fishery management rules, but to know that one won’t be banned from areas just because some people want to create some type of Garden of Eden in our oceans.

 The term “Gone Fishing” is for many the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

 Bill Adler
Executive Director