Sport Fish Restoration Act Reauthorization Begins
by Janet Tennyson
Key provisions of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, providing America's most significant source of funding for fisheries conservation, sportfishing access, and angling and boating education, passed a U.S. Senate Committee on June 26, beginning the reauthorization process and paving the way for half-a-billion dollars in investments each year over the next 6 years.
Senators John Breaux, John McCain, and Fritz Hollings led the charge for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's endorsement of legislative language developed by the American League of Anglers and Boaters, a coalition of 32 organizations chaired by American Sportfishing Association President and CEO Mike Nussman. The Aquatic Resources Trust Fund portion of the law was attached to a bill reauthorizing the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Other parts of the Sport Fish Restoration Act needing reauthorization will be addressed by two other Senate Committees later in this session of Congress.
"The American League of Anglers and Boaters comes together every time the Sport Fish Restoration Act is up for reauthorization to make sure the interests of millions of anglers and boaters and the sportfishing industry are well represented," explained Nussman. "We've been working together for almost 2 years to get to this point because there's nothing more important to the future of fishing and boating. Once again, Senator Breaux came through on his commitment to the nation's anglers and boaters, here on the eve of the 4th of July holiday when so many families will be enjoying time out on the water together."
Sportfishing manufacturers set aside a percentage of the value of their product sales and provide this amount to the U.S. Treasury for the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, part of the Sport Fish Restoration Act. The tax is passed on to anglers when they purchase their fishing gear. In addition, boaters pay an excise tax on certain motor boat fuels. Ultimately, more than $400 million each year is collected and eventually funneled to state fish and wildlife agencies for fisheries conservation, fishing and boating access facilities, and angler and boater education and safety courses.
Since 1950 when the Sport Fish Restoration Act was first enacted, more than $4 billion has been collected and invested in fish and habitat restoration and the advancement of fishing and boating. Over the lifetime of this law, special provisions were created for grant programs for coastal wetlands conservation, boating facilities, and boating safety. During the 1998 reauthorization, the American Sportfishing Association pushed for $36 million in investments over 5 years to launch a national advertising and marketing campaign to promote fishing and boating. The legislative package that passed last week would extend these investments by providing $10 million per year over the next 6 years for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation to continue the Water Works Wonders campaign.
The American Sportfishing Association is the recreational fishing trade association, uniting 500 members of the sportfishing and boating industries, state fish and wildlife agencies, federal land and water management agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups, and outdoor journalists. The American Sportfishing Association initiates and supports efforts to advance fisheries conservation, fishing opportunities, and a profitable sportfishing industry.
