Legislation to Expand Ban on Lead Fishing Tackle No Longer on the Table in New Hampshire
KeepAmericaFishing 05.14.12
Thank you for taking action against this burdensome legislation.
Because of your quick action, and that of other KeepAmericaFishing angler advocates, a burdensome and unwarranted bill that aimed to expand New Hampshire’s lead fishing tackle ban is no longer being considered by the New Hampshire State Legislature this session.
On May 9, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to send SB 224 to interim study. While the bill is not yet dead, the legislature will not act on it again until the 2013 session. This is a significant victory for New Hampshire’s anglers, especially considering how strongly anti-fishing interests advocated for the bill.
Expanding New Hampshire’s ban on lead sinkers, jigs and other traditional fishing tackle is neither reasonable nor warranted without the scientific data to support it. Current regulations banning the use of lead jigs measuring one inch or less have already had an impact on New Hampshire’s anglers’ ability to fully enjoy their sport, and an expansion of these regulations would only serve to deter more anglers.
KeepAmericaFishing thanks you for helping to thwart this burdensome, unwarranted and scientifically unsupported legislation from moving forward in the state legislature.
This is an important victory for New Hampshire’s angling community and you deserve our thanks for taking action!
KeepAmericaFishing is the fastest growing community of anglers united with one common goal -- to protect our right to sustainably fish on our nation's waterways. As the voice of the American angler, KeepAmericaFishing works to keep our public resources – our oceans, lakes, rivers and streams – open, clean and abundant with fish.
Across the country, preventing or limiting recreational anglers’ access to public waters fisheries is being touted as a new way to manage fish populations. This unprecedented shift undermines the achievements of proven fisheries management methods that focus on conservation and promote sustainable fishing. As a result, the past 10 years have seen a dramatic increase in bans on recreational fishing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Texas to Minnesota.
In an effort to combat access restrictions around the country, the American Sportfishing Association launched KeepAmericaFishing to unite the nation’s 60 million anglers under one voice. Through policy, science and conservation, KeepAmericaFishing works to minimize access restrictions, promote clean waters and restore fish populations. With its conservation partners, KeepAmericaFishing works to limit and provide for review and revision science-based closures to areas in which they are clearly beneficial to the health of the fishery.
At KeepAmericaFishing, we are working to give voice to the millions of American recreational anglers who share one thing in common - a passion for fishing.
