Fishy Business

Conservatives are all buzzing over a report by ESPN that uses rank speculation to claim that Obama is going to ban recreational fishing. However, the key paragraph in the report seems to invalidate their thesis.

As ESPN previously reported, WWF, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Pew Environment Group and others produced a document entitled "Transition Green" shortly after Obama was elected in 2008. What has happened since suggests that the task force has been in lockstep with that position paper.

Then in late summer, just after he created the task force, these groups produced "Recommendations for the Adoption and Implementation of an Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes National Policy." This document makes repeated references to "overfishing," but doesn't once reference recreational angling, its importance, and its benefits, both to participants and the resource.

The report relies largely on conjecture and fear and never once addresses any factual analysis that would back up the assertions that recreational fishing would be terminated throughout the US, as many conservatives are framing this story as.

Living near that two largest lakes in Kentucky ( Barkley and Kentucky Lake ) I have not heard one peep out of fisherman or business owners yet. But now that this has taken root within the conservative realm, I'm sure that the willfully ignorant shouting will begin fairly soon.

The reason that conservative memes like this work so well is that they rely on what ISN'T there in order to frighten people. This sort of "reporting"' is just as verifiable and reliable as ESPN saying that lakes, rivers, and streams in the midwest are going to be drained and the waters transferred to Iran. That language isn't in the report, so that remains a "possible aspect" of legislation that hasn't even been put into place.

Being afraid of something that "might" happen is largely what motivates the conservatives and guides their rhetoric.

Another point that should be made in regards to this is the common practice of "catch-and-release" used by recreational anglers throughout the US. Since this is a report on "overfishing" ( removing too many fish from waters and not allowing the population to maintain itself ) none of this should be of any concern to those that fish for recreational purposes.

In the end, chalk this up as another example of conservatives using fear-tactics to push an agenda that is grounded in fantasy rather than reality.