Recreational Fishing Alliance (NJ)
Contact: Jim Hutchinson, Jr. / 888-564-6732
For Immediate Release
May 18, 2011
HOOKED ON FISHING BILL GETS COMMITTEE HEARING
The New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee will be hearing Senate Bill 106 (S106) on Thursday, May 19 in Committee Room 10 of the third floor of the Statehouse Annex in Trenton at 10 a.m. The long-awaited Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) bill would establish the HOFNOD program's funding source as the Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund, a statutory account established to receive fines and penalties from convicted drug offenders that are used to support State authorized drug and alcohol abuse abatement programs. The bill encourages the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funding from this source on an annual basis in the State Budget to support this program.
Capt. Adam Nowalsky, chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance's New Jersey Chapter (RFA-NJ) called HOFNOD a terrific program which focuses on preventing drug use by school age children through the introduction to sportfishing and aquatic resource education. "We're thankful to Senators Chris Connors and Jennifer Beck for sponsoring this important legislation which helps introduce children to the sport of fishing, and hopefully leads them away from the dangers of illegal drug use," Nowalsky said.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife launched a pilot HOFNOD program in Ocean County in 2000, which has been continued with increasing success and participation. The bill would establish the program on a Statewide basis by enabling the division to implement at least one operating program in each county. The bill's $200,000 appropriation would support the initial salary costs of a full-time program director, who would oversee and coordinate a predominantly volunteer staff. This funding would also be used to purchase fishing kits, an essential part of the program, and other program materials.
Co-sponsors of S106 include senators Andrew Ciesla, Barbara Buono, Fred H. Madden, Jr. and Steven V. Oroho. As Assembly version (A288) is also awaiting review in the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and is supported by primary sponsors in the assembly, Brian Rumpf, Herb Conaway, Jr. and DiAnne C. Gove.
About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit
www.joinrfa.org.
