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On March 10, 2009, the National Park Service (NPS) announced its intention to ban fishing tackle with lead components in national parks by 2010. The announcement was made without prior consultation of the sportfishing industry or the millions of recreational anglers who fish within the national park system. In the normal course of events, the sportfishing and shooting sports industries (lead component ammunition is also included in the ban) would have been notified by the NPS about this change in policy and would have been invited to discuss this decision with NPS staff. In a letter and a subsequent press release, ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson requested that the NPS withdraw the proposal and discuss the rationale for it with the appropriate stakeholders before taking further action. During the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held March 16 – 20, in Arlington, Va., William Shafroth, deputy assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, told conference attendees that the announcement applied to NPS staff and the 2010 deadline did not apply to the general public at this time. ASA’s position remains that any change in federal policy that would affect the sportfishing industry needs to follow appropriate rule-making guidelines. |
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