SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The recreational fishing and boating community is celebrating the recent decision by the California Senate Appropriations Committee to hold Assembly Bill 3030 for the remainder of session. This is great news as AB3030 posed a serious threat to recreational fishing access.
AB3030 aimed to protect 30% of California’s lands and waters by 2030 without clearly stating what and how the protections would be put into place. The unwillingness by the sponsors of the bill to clearly identify hunting and angling as compatible uses in conservation zones was problematic and ultimately forced the recreational community to oppose the bill. The ambiguity around “protection” in AB3030 drew opposition from a variety of sectors including real estate, agriculture, forestry, local governments and water districts, to name a few.
Protecting 30% of lands and waters is a global initiative known as 30×30, and it is being discussed at the national and state level. We will continue our conversations with proponents of 30×30 to advance safeguards for recreational fishing as a sustainable use of our public natural resources.
Anglers and boaters are America’s original environmentalists who contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to aquatic conservation and education programs each year and have repeatedly supported necessary restrictions to conserve our treasured natural resources.
The United States is a global leader in marine conservation, and no one does it better than our state fish and wildlife agencies. We can continue leading while also ensuring recreational fishing and outdoor activities will be available to all for generations to come.
