United States Department of the Interior                                        FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE                                                   Washington, D.C. 20240

NATIONAL POLICY ISSUANCE #89-14

SUBJECT: National Recreational Fisheries Policy

A. POLICY: The National Recreational Fisheries Policy declares:

1. The Nation's recreational fisheries provide substantial benefits to all Americans, to the health and welfare of our society, and to the national economy.

2. These benefits derive from achieving and maintaining healthy and robust fish populations and related habitats. A concerted and diligent effort is required to maintain, restore, and increase the productivity of these populations and habitats to provide for continuing public benefits.

3. Governments are vested with stewardship responsibilities and must work in concert with the recreational fisheries constituency and the general public to conserve, restore, and enhance recreational fisheries and their habitats.

4. Constituency groups, the recreational fishery industry, and individual anglers have an obligation to support natural resources stewardship, practice responsible angler ethics, and actively participate in individual and cooperative fishery resource conservation efforts.

B. SCOPE: Servicewide.

C. GUIDING PRINCIPLES, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES: The policy statement with its guiding principles, goals, and objectives is appended. 1/

D. DEFINITIONS: See Appendix.

E. INCORPORATION: This issuance incorporates the National Recreational Fisheries Policy into the National Policy Issuance System. A resolution of endorsement and support for the National Recreational Fishery Policy was agreed to by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director on June 6, 1988.
 
 

Date: 3/15/89 FRANK DUNKLE

Director

1/ NATIONAL RECREATIONAL FISHERIES POLICY. Available from the Assistant Director Fisheries or the Regional Office.