MUCC Supports Commercial Fishing Bill

Justin Tomei • March 27, 2025

House Bill 4212 - Modernizing Commercial Fishing

“Michigan is so beautiful with its lakes and streams, and one of my favorite pastimes in the summer is to fish. However, it is important that Michigan has protections in place to help continue to keep our waterways prosperous, and fish populations robust. I am proud to introduce a bill to modernize the state’s commercial fishing industry. This bill sets parameters around commercial fishing such as licensing fees, gear used, and allowable species for harvest, and will protect our game fish such as lake trout, walleye, and yellow perch from commercial harvest and bycatch. House Bill 4212 makes a change to commercial fishing that has not taken place in over 50 years. These protections are long past due.” 

On March 12, Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) introduced a stakeholder-backed modernization of Michigan’s commercial fishing statute.   


House Bill 4212 would modernize the archaic patchwork of regulations in the state’s commercial fishing statute and keep gamefish out of commercial nets.  


Michigan’s commercial fishing statute is decades old, and an update is long overdue to protect the pristine Great Lakes fishery, said Amos O’Neal.


“Michigan is so beautiful with its lakes and streams, and one of my favorite pastimes in the summer is to fish,” said Rep. O’Neal. “I am proud to introduce a bill to modernize the state’s commercial fishing industry. House Bill 4212 makes a change to commercial fishing that has not taken place in over 50 years. These protections are long past due.”  

On March 12, Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) introduced a stakeholder-backed modernization of Michigan’s commercial fishing statute.   

 

House Bill 4212 would modernize the archaic patchwork of regulations in the state’s commercial fishing statute and keep gamefish out of commercial nets. 

 

Michigan’s commercial fishing statute is decades old, and an update is long overdue to protect the pristine Great Lakes fishery, said Amos O’Neal. 

 

“Michigan is so beautiful with its lakes and streams, and one of my favorite pastimes in the summer is to fish,” said Rep. O’Neal. “I am proud to introduce a bill to modernize the state’s commercial fishing industry. House Bill 4212 makes a change to commercial fishing that has not taken place in over 50 years. These protections are long past due.” 

According to MUCC Policy and Government Affairs Manager Justin Tomei, the current commercial fishing statute needs to be revised to protect the investment licensed anglers have made in the management of our sportfish.  


“Currently we operate with an abhorrent patchwork of rules and regulations, many of them have not been updated since the 1970s,” said Tomei. “We must modernize this industry, create a single regulatory framework in statute, and keep gamefish out of commercial nets, protecting the investment licensed anglers have made managing and rearing these fish.”  

 

The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism.  

HB 4212 starkly contrasts with HB 5108 of 2023, introduced by Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) in October 2023.  HB 5108 would have set minimum quotas for gamefish to be caught by state-licensed commercial anglers, commercializing a resource held in the public trust. 

 

MUCC opposed HB 5108 and started a call to action resulting in 85,000 emails being sent to legislative offices in opposition to the commercialization of Michigan’s game fish, ultimately killing the legislation. A rehash of HB 5108 is expected this session. 

 

MUCC supports HB 4212 and looks forward to working with legislators to secure passage in the 2025-2026 legislative session. 

 

To ensure our natural resources remain protected and managed thoughtfully and our outdoor heritage defended, join Michigan United Conservation Clubs today: http://bit.ly/JoinMUCC.     


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