Advocates fear constitutional right to hunt and fish could have unintended consequences

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A newly formed group is warning Floridians to vote against a constitutional amendment set to appear on next year’s ballot that would enshrine a right to hunt and fish in the Florida constitution.

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State law already protects Floridians’ ability to hunt and fish, but environmental advocates worry the proposed constitutional amendment would create protections beyond the right to cast a line and open the door for the use of gills nets and even possibly the right to hunt Black Bears.

Florida lawmakers pitched the idea of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to hunt and fish this past legislative session, arguing there have been pushes in other states to outright ban the traditions.

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“Even going as far as criminalizing hunting and fishing,” said House sponsor State Representative Lauren Melo (R-Naples) during a March committee hearing.

The joint resolution was approved nearly unanimously by both chambers, but an opposition group calling itself NoTo2.org has sprung up urging Floridians to reject the proposal.

“This is a solution in search of a problem,” said NoTo2.org founder Chuck O’Neal.

O’Neal, an environmental advocate, has many concerns with the amendment.

“Things like the right of free speech. I mean, this is where this would tuck this particular new right,” said O’Neal.

Among his concerns are a lack of protections for private property rights and the potential overriding of hunting regulations like the state’s gill net ban, Red Snapper protections and the nearly decade-long closure of bear hunting season.

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“This is definitely gonna lead to an erosion of the authority of the FWC,” said O’Neal.

House co-sponsor of the amendment State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) doesn’t buy the argument.

“This is people wanting to frankly use a different fish known as a Red Herring,” said Black.

Black pointed to the line in the amendment language specifically stating it would have no effect on the authority of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“There’s nothing in the constitutional amendment that’s going to empower people to poach. That’s what we’re talking about. That’s what they’re talking about. If it’s against the law it’s going to be against the law and they still have the power to regulate,” said Black.

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More than 20 states have implemented similar constitutional protections.

But O’Neil noted shortly after North Carolina adopted its version in 2018, Black Bear hunting was authorized on 94,000 acres of land previously designated as bear refuge.

“You don’t need to look far, time-wise, to realize the kinds of problems this is gonna cause,” said O’Neal.

60 percent of Florida voters would have to approve of the amendment next November for the right to hunt and fish to make it into the state constitution.

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