At this point, many anglers have heard of H.R. 1335 which was an important piece of legislation for recreational anglers that passed out of the US House on June 1. The bill focuses on reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the nation’s primary law governing saltwater fisheries, in a way that is supportive of the recreational fishing community. Now, the US Senate is looking to pass their version of Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization, so that the bill can ultimately become law.
The Senate’s version of the bill, S. 1403, will be voted on in the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday, June 25. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida introduced the bill which is officially titled “The Florida Fisheries Improvement Act,” and includes several provisions of high importance to the recreational fishing community. While some of the language in the bill focuses on Florida, S. 1403 will ultimately affect all saltwater fisheries in the U.S.
This bill will address many of the recreational fishing communities concerns by prompting better fisheries science and ending the one-size-fits-all approach to fisheries management which subjects recreational anglers to rules that were meant for commercial fishermen. If this bill were to become law, it would represent a valuable step in preserving our right to fish for future generations.
B.A.S.S. encourages anglers everywhere to support this bill by writing their US Senators in favor of the legislation. To send a prewritten letter on S. 1403 to your US Senators, simply click here. Please make sure to check out the all new Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation advocacy system at bassforsalt.com to stay up to date on important news concerning our right to fish.