Today, the California State Senate
Committee on Natural Resources and Water passed Senate Bill 345, the California
Sportfishing Stimulus Act of 2015, by a vote of 8-0.
“Today, a bipartisan panel of
California legislators recognized that reforming California’s fishing license
program is necessary to increase fishing participation and grow the economy,”
said Marko Mlikotin, executive director for the California Sportfishing League.
“As consumers, it makes no sense for anglers to pay full price for annual
fishing license that is not valid for a full 12-months. It’s time to reform a
costly and antiquated program that is discouraging participation and harming
the jobs dependent on the future of recreational fishing.”
An unprecedented number of prominent
business and tourism associations appeared at the hearing in defense of a form
of outdoor recreation that generates over $4.9 billion in economic activity
each year, supporting communities dependent on fishing for tourism, jobs and
tax revenue.
“California’s great outdoors and vast
coastline, and thousands of lakes and streams attract anglers from all over the
world, generating tax revenue and jobs for communities dependent on
recreational anglers,” said Ken DeVore, Legislative Director, National
Federation of Independent Business/CA. “Unless California’s extraordinary
decline in fishing participation is addressed quickly, jobs and tourism dollars
will be at risk.”
Senate Bill 345, sponsored the
California Sportfishing League and introduced by Senator Tom Berryhill (R-Twain
Harte) and Assembly Member Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals), must be heard by the
Senate Appropriations Committee before the legislation goes to the full
California Senate.
Members of the Committee who
voted in support of SB 345 were: Chair
Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), Vice
Char Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County), Senator
Bill Monning (D-Carmel), Senator
Lois Wolk (D-Davis), Senator Bob
Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), Senator Ben
Hueso (D-San Diego), Senator
Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica).
