Fishing for Angling Ethics

Boat/US Magazine, July, 1999 by Ryck Lydecker

Dick Schaefer is an avid hunter and he's got the wallet card to prove it. But it's not a big game score sheet or a bird hunter's brag list. In his pocket is a "Hunter's Code of Ethics," a statement that not only guides his actions in the field but embodies a philosophy he's quick to share with others.

In a nutshell, the code says to respect the quarry, protect its habitat and preserve the natural resource web that sustains both game and the sport of hunting.

That is just the kind of ethical mindset that Schaefer now wants to extend to saltwater fishing, another lifelong passion and his profession as well.

When the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) tapped Schaefer to head a new recreational fishing office two years ago, he dusted off a code of angling ethics developed by the agency over 20 years before. With the help of angling organizations, Schaefer, a long-time BOAT/U.S. member, began to bring the code into the world of saltwater fishing today.

"The code is a statement of simple actions which, if practiced by everyone, will lead to better fishing today and in the future," Schaefer says.

Schaefer wanted to put the focus on the angler and the role anglers can play in maintaining the health of fisheries habitat, the quality of the marine ecosystem and the stocks of fish they pursue. After the National Marine Fisheries Service published its proposed code in the Federal Register, BOAT/U.S. adapted the language to create "The Ethical Angler" (see column 3).

Schaefer says the days are fading when the sole objective was to catch all the fish you could on a day's outing. Regulation and peer pressure have led to a more conservation-minded attitude among anglers, he says, but rules can only go so far and responsible sportsmen need ammunition to change attitudes.

"The way to affect human behavior is through education and example," says Schaefer. "The code is a simple tool anyone can use to begin a dialogue about conservation in a non-threatening way."

In addition to abiding by the rules and regulations, the code emphasizes keeping only the fish you can consume or using catch-and-release techniques that help ensure survival. The code also advocates adherence to fishing regulations and respect for property as well as environmental stewardship.

Hooked on Fishing

The fishing message itself reached Schaefer at the age of seven when his father took him fishing on New Jersey's Manasquan River.

"We rowed Out of Clark's Landing in a rented skiff and began bottom fishing with live killies and squid strips," he reports. "I had an eight-foot surf rod -- stiff as a board -- with an old Ocean City reel.

"My dad taught me how to bait the hook and since I couldn't cast, I just dropped the sinker to the bottom and prayed."

It worked. Schaefer caught three summer flounder (fluke) that day.

"Latching on to a three-pound fluke when you're that size is a heck of an experience for a kid," Schaefer says. "I didn't think I could land it and tried to give my dad the rod but he showed me how to bring it in. I was hooked for life."

Among the other lessons his father taught him on that first fishing trip was to throw nothing -- at least nothing that didn't have a hook in it -- overboard.

"Lunch bags, bottles, sandwich wrappers, bait boxes, old pieces of fishing line -- everything had to stay in the boat and be disposed of properly ashore," Schaefer reports.

In the preface to his classic work of instruction on the finer points of fishing, The Compleat Angler, published in 1653, Izaak Walton spoke to the importance of education and shared experience when he wrote, "As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler."

But to Dick Schaefer, the really complete angler of today is the ethical angler.

The Ethical Angler

I'm and Ethical Angler. I:

Avoid spilling and never dump gasoline, oil other pollutants -on land or in the water.

Never leave trash behind, including worn line, old hooks and bait, and practice recycling.

Gain knowledge about Aquatic Nuisance Species and how to help prevent their spread.

Learn and abide by all fishing regulations and boating laws.

Educate fellow anglers and especially new participants about fishing ethics.

Respect private property and the rights of other anglers and outdoor recreationists.

Save fish for tomorrow by practicing conservation and learning proper catch-and-release techniques.