Kevin Hickson

“It takes a commitment from serious people to properly manage something as valued and cherished as the nation’s marine resources, and we appreciate everyone who seeks to fulfill these roles on the fishery management councils,” – Patrick Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association

The leading organizations representing recreational fishing and boating in the United States urged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to reject a petition to establish a year-round 10-knot (11 mph) vessel speed limit and other vessel-related measures in the Rice’s whale “core” habitat area in the Gulf of Mexico.

This letter provides our response to NOAA Fisheries’ request for comments on the Rice’s whale petition for rulemaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

By implementing efforts to minimize interactions between sharks and anglers, the SHARKED Act will advance conservation for the benefit of sharks, anglers, fisheries and the economy.

88% of current fishing participants fished before the age of 12, highlighting the importance of being exposed to fishing at a young age. Not only does spending time outdoors fishing provide health benefits, but research has shown that participants in outdoor recreation place higher importance on environmental values and stand as stronger conservation stewards.

Striped bass are extremely important to coastal communities along the Atlantic and the entire fishing economy, estimated to generate $7.8 billion annually in economic output.

The RISEE Act will significantly expand vital coastal restoration and protection efforts for communities and habitats across the United States, providing critical funding to foster resilience in the face of accelerating sea level rise, extreme weather events, and other climate-related threats.

Providing the maximum opportunity to safely repurpose these platforms in the Rigs to Reefs program will ensure the Gulf’s marine ecosystems and economy will not be negatively impacted.

This common-sense, bipartisan legislation will provide much needed investments to enhance costal resiliency, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and safeguard outdoor recreational opportunities.

CCA has long supported the concept of recreational fishing licenses to better define the universe of participants and improve accountability and reporting for recreational harvest.