Although fishing remains a popular activity shared by many sportsmen and their families, the sport is not without challenges that limit even broader participation from many who would love to take part in this tradition.
In exploring what threats to fishing are of the greatest concern or have impacted todays anglers the most, AnglerSurvey.com posed the question in one of its bimonthly surveys.
When asked, What is the biggest problem facing fishing today? 20 percent of respondents cited access to water as being the top concern.
With increasing regularity, federal agencies and uninformed politicians unnecessarily close access to our public waters. But recreational anglers are conservation stewards, and our nations waterways can be conserved while we, our friends and families continue to fish, says Liz Ogilvie, director of Keep America Fishing with the American Sportfishing Association.
Keep America Fishing serves as the unified voice of the American angler and works to keep the nations public water resources open, clean and abundant with fish.
After access, water quality was the second biggest concern among sportsmen with nearly 16 percent citing that as the major problem.
Additional concerns included:
15 percent cited invasive fish or marine species
14 percent said there were too many disruptive and competing activities on the water
9 percent blamed over regulation
8 percent said there are not enough fish
8 percent cited the cost to fish
8 percent werent sure, and
4 percent cited too many anglers.
The recreational fishing community faces continual policy challenges that affect fishing opportunity, on the national, state and local levels, said Ogilvie. We need all anglers to get involved to make sure our collective interests are represented when key decisions are made that affect anglers ability to enjoy our natural resources.
Keep America Fishing is organized by the American Sportfishing Association. For more information on Keep America Fishing, visit its website at keepamericafishing.org.
Sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the Southwick Associates bi-monthly surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and/or AnglerSurvey.com. Every other month, participants who complete the surveys are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.
