State Fair and elections

The Minnesota State Fair opens today, a sure sign that the end of summer is around the corner. It also means political campaigns will be in full swing as there is an election this November.

This year, legislative and gubernatorial candidates will be out kissing babies and shaking hands as they try to earn your vote.

As anglers, we should be prepared to ask questions of the politicians who knock on our door or stop us at the Pronto-Pup booth.

To help you engage and evaluate candidates, MN-FISH has crafted three questions for you to ask to better understand how well they may support Minnesota anglers:

1.     Do you and your family enjoy fishing in Minnesota?

2.     Minnesota has world-class fishing resources and the state's management should reflect that. Would you support rebuilding MN DNR fisheries management back to 2005 levels?

3.     Fishing has a $6.9 billion impact on Minnesota's economy. Would you support using the general fund to supplement state fisheries management (as opposed to relying on just revenue generated by fishing license sales)?

Here is some background information on these questions:

1.     Each year, upwards of 1.5 million fishing licenses are sold in Minnesota. When you factor in kids under 16 years old, over one third of Minnesota residents go fishing throughout the year. Fishing is part of the cultural fabric of Minnesotans.

2.     MN DNR fisheries management efforts have decreased substantially since 2005 and essentially flatlined since 2017. They are currently at historically low levels while State spending in other areas has grown dramatically. MN-FISH understands under-funding fisheries management may not be corrected in one year, however, we believe investments need to be made to erase the current deficits and strengthen fisheries management going forward.

3.     This year anglers will contribute $6.9 billion into our state’s economy, generating hundreds of millions of general tax revenue for the state to spend, yet no measurable amount finds its way back into fisheries management.

Asking these questions and others you may have will raise awareness within our elected officials and highlight the importance that fishing has to Minnesota’s culture and economy.