| CWA needs your assistance to defeat a petition before the California Fish and Game Commission to prohibit waterfowl hunting on navigable waterways near the City of Benicia. The petition was submitted by a local resident and cites noise, conflict with other recreational users and perceived threat to public safety, amongst other issues. The Carquinez strait and other waterways in the Benicia area have been hunted for generations. There are no incidents of members of the non-hunting public being injured by the waterfowl hunting that occurs there, while hunters must comply with existing state safety laws, including those that restrict the discharge of firearms near occupied buildings and across roads and other ways open to the public. Local residents and groups have tried to restrict hunting on state-managed navigable waterways throughout the state in the last 20 years, including Morro and Tomales Bays. The Commission rightly rejected the previous proposals primarily because there were no legitimate safety issues nor waterfowl population impacts from hunting; and, in many cases, the proposals were based in part on anti-hunting sentiments. Should the Commission now prohibit hunting on public waters near Benicia, it will set a dangerous precedent and only encourage other residents in other parts of California to seek similar hunting restrictions, likely resulting in further loss of waterfowl hunting opportunities. Please contact the California Fish and Game Commission and urge that the Benicia petition be rejected. Thank you for your help. |
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