The Importance Of Freshwater Fishing Conservation

Why are freshwater fishing conservation laws and fees so important?

With the great exposure of fishing available from television, books, magazines and the internet, more and more people are becoming involved in fishing each and every day.

That obviously means that there are more and more fishermen, women and children out on the water than ever before. And it's not going to slow down.

Sadly enough, some of those folks don't really have the respect needed to care for our waterways and surrounding environments.

It's becoming increasingly important to abide by the fishing laws and regulations set forth to help conserve our fisheries. There are many reasons why these laws, and even voluntary suggestions, are put in place.

Conserving and protecting our fisheries simply boils down to providing our future generations of children with the opportunities of enjoying this exciting sport in the same fashion as we are able to today.

Fishing Conservation Fees and Regulations

I hear people always complaining about these fees and restrictions. Sure, some seem to be outrageously higher than they should be. But, the fishing laws and restrictions are put in place for a very good reason. It's all part of conservation.

Cattail removal from the water is all part of conservation efforts to help improve our fisheries.

A portion of the costs for our fishing licenses, some bait and tackle programs, and certain park and campground fees goes towards important fishing programs and biological studies.

Fish Hatchery Feeding Time Frenzy

The money helps with maintaining fish hatcheries, fish stocking programs, new pond developments, and biologists with studying fish, their behavior, growth, habitat, and their surrounding environments.

Without these conservation efforts in place, the future of our fisheries would be in turmoil.

The excitement of catching fish would be next to nothing. Waters could get so over-polluted that fish begin to die off, and we wouldn't be able to include game fish in our daily diet.

Restocking/planting fish back into the water.

Fishing Conservation and Your Involvement

Do you enjoy fishing? Would you like to see our kids active in this great sport for many years to come?

Great, me too! Instead of taking a back seat, get involved and do your part. It's quite easy actually. Here are a few things of simple fishing etiquette...

• don't liter, clean up after yourself
• be sure that your area is cleaner than it was when you arrived
• keep your boat clean in prevention of invasive species like Zebra Mussels
• only keep your limit of fish, and no more than what you plan to eat
• practice catch and release, take photos for memories
• report all tagged fish to your local conservatives
• report poachers and other violators
• educate others, spread the word, let your voice be heard

Your efforts do and will make a huge difference, no matter how small or big your contributions are. Be a leader and join the trend to help save our fisheries for a bright future.