Alexandria, VA – December 10, 2014 – A provision to prohibit federal funds from being used to regulate lead fishing tackle and ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act was included in the omnibus federal spending bill released yesterday. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), which strongly supports this action, has been working for the past several years on passage of similar legislation that will provide a permanent exemption for traditional fishing tackle.
“We applaud Congressional leadership, and House and Senate appropriators, for protecting the nation’s 60 million anglers from unjustified restrictions on fishing equipment that anglers have safely used for decades,” said ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman. “On multiple occasions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been petitioned by anti-fishing organizations to federally ban fishing tackle containing lead based on its impact on wildlife, a position that is not based on sound science.”
Nussman further said, “While the EPA has consistently rejected these petitions, we have advocated all along for a permanent fix to prevent an unnecessary ban from being approved. This temporary legislative fix supports and reinforces the EPA’s previous decisions and will aid us in our efforts toward a permanent solution, hopefully through inclusion in a Sportsmen’s Package bill in the 114th Congress. Continuing efforts to set aside the EPA’s rulings through petitions and lawsuits demonstrate a clear need for a permanent, legislative solution.”
The omnibus spending bill, which is a short-term measure to keep the federal government operating for the near future, is expected to be signed into law in the coming days.