The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that will block unjustified efforts by anti-fishing groups to ban lead fishing tackle by petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) using a provision in the Toxic Substance Control Act.
The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 establishes an exemption for traditional fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Act and clarifies the exemption that already exists for shooting and hunting sports.
The EPA has been petitioned three times in the last 18 months to ban ammunition or fishing tackle containing lead and has rejected all three attempts.
“We applaud the House for passing this legislation that will protect the sportfishing community from unwarranted and unjustified restrictions on fishing equipment,” said Gordon Robertson, Vice President of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA).
”Time after time the EPA has ruled that petitioners did not demonstrate that such a ban is ‘necessary to protect against unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment’.
“Our thanks go the thousands of anglers who voiced their support for this legislation through ‘KeepAmericaFishing’ and to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus’s leadership and members who piloted the measure through the House of Representatives,” said Robertson.
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