The bill, championed by Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) addresses two of the community’s top priorities. Of particular importance to the recreational fishing and boating community are provisions to prevent unnecessary fishing closures in Biscayne National Park, and to further ensure conservation of billfish populations. The issue was a key focus of the recent American Boating Congress in Washington, DC. 

A controversial proposal to implement a 10,500-acre marine reserve in Biscayne National Park was finalized in 2015, despite strong opposition from the fishing and boating community and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  S. 3099 would put in place several requirements the National Park Service would need to meet before implementing any fishing restrictions in Biscayne National Park, including basing the decision on sound fisheries management; prioritizing the state’s science, and ensuring it is the least restrictive measure necessary.

The Biscayne National Park marine reserve has been an issue of concern for numerous Members of Congress. The House of Representatives passed a bill, led by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), and 36 other sponsors, to require the National Park Service and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to have approval from state fish and wildlife agencies before closing state waters to recreational or commercial fishing. Similar legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rubio, was recently included in a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, which Cassidy chairs.

“The Billfish Conservation Act is one of the most significant legislative achievements for marine fisheries conservation in recent years, and we are thankful for the continued diligence of Senators Nelson and Rubio on this important issue,” said Rob Kramer, president of the International Game Fish Association. “We are proud to support S. 3099 as a very positive bill for fisheries conservation and angler access.”