I found myself at the other major July convention, ICAST, earlier this month. While it didn’t receive the same level of coverage and attention as the RNC Convention in Milwaukee, newsworthy happenings also transpired at the world’s largest sport fishing trade show.
ICAST is short for the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades and is put on annually by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) - the recreational fishing industry’s trade association. This trade show shows off the latest in fishing rods, tackle, boats, navigation systems, and other neat gear.
But also top of mind for many attendees was looming federal policymaking aimed at restricting recreational access. Namely, a long-delayed – but harmful – Commerce Department rule to mandate an 11.5 mile-per-hour speed limit for boats ranging from 35 to 65 feet long under the guise of protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales. If finalized, this would restrict vessel speeds for upwards of seven months from coastal Massachusetts to Florida.
In March 2024, fishing and boating industry leaders criticized National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, housed under the Commerce Department, for hastily advancing the rule. Recently, the Office of Management and Budget’s Unified Agenda says the rule is expected to be published in November, presumably after the 2024 presidential election.
Ahead of ICAST, House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and 54 Members of Congress rebuked NOAA and wrote, “Stakeholders have shared that this expansion will dramatically limit outdoor recreation including boating and fishing, disincentivizing activities that collectively contributed more than $550 billion, or 2.2 percent, to the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022. These limitations would also pose economic harm to the many industries that support these activities and reduce revenue for important restoration programs that have benefited our communities…”
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By proceeding like this, Biden administration rulemaking will potentially impact 810,000 jobs and put $230 billion in economic output at risk.
Fishing and boating industry leaders repeatedly conveyed their concerns about this rule during the show.
“We, along with many of our partners, like the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), have provided us with more than enough data, as well as great alternatives through technology– plus the support of Congress–to have them delay their decision,” ASA President Glenn Hughes told attendees at the State of the Industry Breakfast.
“When you look at the rules that we're seeing coming down from NOAA, especially on the North Atlantic, right whale speed vessel restriction rule is you're trying to stop something that does not happen especially in South Carolina,” South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance CEO Gettys Brannon told me. “In 52 years, there's only been one serious vessel strike and there's never been a recorded vessel strike on boats between 35 and 65 feet. It’s a solution in search of a problem, and that's no good way to govern.”
Brannon also conveyed to me, as other recreational anglers have, that protecting right whales is in their best interests and possible without decimating the industry through closing access.
He added, “What we've seen so far is they [the Biden administration] don't care about the technology. And quite frankly, we don't even know that the whales are the driving factor behind what this policy is. Because at the end of the day, if we wanted to protect the whales, we have the technology to do it.”
“The two most important things in recreational fisheries are access and opportunity,” Center for Sportfishing Policy president Jeff Angers added. “If we have access and opportunity on the water, we're gonna go fishing. As governments are focused on restrictions to keep us off the water, we're wanting to make sure that we unite our community to stand up against that.”
Angers was equally concerned about the vessel speed rule, remarking it is “bad science,” “bad policy,” and “bad politics.” The policy is so toxic, he continued, that this factored into the White House delaying the final rule until after the election.
Attendees I spoke to also praised the Supreme Court overturning the Chevron Doctrine. They’re optimistic that NOAA Fisheries and other unchecked government agencies, tasked with rulemaking affecting fisheries management, will be reined in going forward.
In Fiscal Year 2024, approximately $382,000,000 was generated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Sport Fish Restoration Program authorized by the Dingell-Johnson Act. Since 1950, over $8 billionhas been generated to support “the conservation and restoration of sport fish species and their habitats.”
American anglers, like hunters, are stalwart conservationists. Roughly 52.4 million anglers are responsible for a $148 billion economic output–of which $1.8 billion is awarded to conservation efforts.
Despite being engulfed by a sea of regulations, the fishing industry is resilient and will endure long past the Biden administration. A future administration shouldn’t alienate these folks.
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