Recreational fishing bans
Issue: As environmental groups look to ways to prevent further fish stock depletion and endangered species losses, they are asking for a ban on all fishing in some waters. AMI supports protection of fishing stocks, but closures to recreational fishermen must be based on sound scientific evidence that the recreational fishing of an area is a predominant threat to stocks in that region and that better regulation instead of closure is not an option. Closing areas to recreational fishing has the potential to significantly reduce the number of boaters in those areas, consequently decreasing income for nearby marinas.
Action: watching action on the West Coast