| Comment | Hello California Angler and Marine Life Enthusiast!
Exactly four weeks from today the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) will consider adopting such draconian engine emission
regulations that would require existing boats to be scrapped and
multi-million dollar new boats to be purchased, forcing ticket
prices to be raised by 2-3 times existing prices. Not only could
this mark the end for California sportfishing and whale watching
boat owners but it would also make ocean access so costly that many
current anglers won't be able to afford it.
By their own admission, CARB's staff have stated that boats will be
removed from service!
"We, through this process, discussed the findings of the
feasibility report from the California Maritime Academy and for
some sectors are estimating that for vessels operating above the
low use threshold that vessel replacement will be likely,
especially the categories with wood or fiberglass vessels that
can't be as easily reconfigured." - Public Workshop for the
Proposed Amendments to the Commercial Harbor Craft Regulations,
March 16, 2021
These regulations are not only a direct threat to family businesses
and outdoor tourism, but future access to offshore fishing and
marine life! Mark our words, as boats are removed from the water,
fishing participation rates will decline and so will fishing
license sales that fund critical offshore and inland conservation
and fishery programs - programs that are essential to environmental
sustainability and access to plentiful fish.
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