U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today reintroduced legislation to prevent ammunition and fishing tackle from unnecessary Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. The Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act would exclude ammunition and fishing tackle from the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), preventing the EPA from regulating it and leaving any potential regulation up to state fish and game agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which already regulate ammo and tackle.
“Regulating ammunition and fishing tackle would restrict South Dakotans from participating in some of our state’s most beloved past times by making them cost-prohibitive,” said Thune. “Not only are hunting and fishing favorite recreational activities in our state, they’re also integral to our economy. I am committed to ensuring that South Dakotans are not unnecessarily burdened by government regulation.”
“Hunting and fishing are not just hobbies in Minnesota – they’re a way of life – and major drivers in the outdoor and recreation economies,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will help ensure Minnesota anglers and hunters can continue to take part in our great outdoor traditions free from unnecessary regulations.”
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 95 percent of ammo currently manufactured is made with lead. Steel shot is also significantly more expensive than lead shot, and can cost as much as 25 percent more per case.
The federal government currently regulates the use of lead ammo for hunting on federal property, including Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers land. On March 2, 2017, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke revoked an Obama administration regulation that would have banned the use of lead-based tackle and ammunition on federal lands by 2022.
The legislation is supported by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Safari Club, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and other hunting and fishing groups.