This November, Florida voters will have the chance to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the Florida Constitution.
Supporters say the amendment will protect and "forever preserve" hunting and fishing in the Sunshine State against future anti-hunting and fishing laws. Critics say it will force the state to prioritize killing animals as population control over non-lethal wildlife protections and conservation efforts.
Here's what you need to know before casting your vote.
What is Amendment 2, the Right to Hunt and Fish?
"RIGHT TO FISH AND HUNT — Proposing an amendment to the Florida Constitution to preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. Specifies that the amendment does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section 9 of Article IV of the State Constitution."
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The amendment, added to the ballot by the Florida Legislature, is intended to be a recognition of hugely popular pastimes and the cultural heritage of the state. According to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service data, there are 219,074 people with hunting licenses in Florida this year. Last year there were 1.7 million Florida fishing license holders, according to Statista.
It's the "preferred means" part of the amendment that's causing concern among conservationists.
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Amendment 2 pros
The amendment would prevent bans on hunting and fishing. Such bans were considered in about a dozen states in 2022, according to VoteYesOn2Florida.com, a site supporting the measure, but none moved forward.
A ballot initiative in Oregon frequently mentioned by Amendment 2 supporters would have criminalized hunting, fishing and farming as part of an overall ban on the injury or killing of animals. However, the initiative, backed by an anti-animal-cruelty organization, never made it to the ballot and was unlikely to pass if it did. It needed 117,173 valid signatures to be certified and by the end of July, proponents said they had just over 30,000. The group behind it, YesOnIP28.org, plans to try again in 2026.
Amendment 2 provides the fundamentals of conservation. "Anytime wildlife populations should be managed, be it to control population or human interactions, hunting and angling should be considered first," voteyeson2fliorida.com said. "Doing this allows for a revenue-generating, sustainable practice to conserve wildlife vs. a myriad of ideas that afford a cost to the taxpayer while simultaneously blocking hunters and anglers from participating."
It protects Florida's economy. "Saltwater and freshwater fishing generate $13.8 billion in annual economic impact for Florida and support 120,000 jobs," VoteYeson2Florida.com said. "Hunting provides another $2 billion annual economic impact and supports 14,300 jobs."
The amendment stresses that the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) would still regulate bag and geographic limits and methods.
Many outdoors organizations have backed the amendment, including Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the American Sportfishing Association, FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto, the Florida Guides Association, the Florida Sportsman's Conservation Association and more.
Amendment 2 cons
Florida already protects the right to hunt and fish. Florida Statute 379.104 "recognizes that hunting, fishing, and the taking of game are a valued part of the cultural heritage of Florida and should be forever preserved for Floridians." Supporters of the amendment say this isn't enough to protect hunting and fishing from ballot initiatives.
Killing animals would become the priority method for managing wildlife. "If passed, this constitutional amendment would make authorizing a hunt of these animals easier and quicker, potentially even before other science-backed measures are implemented for decreasing human-animal interactions," said MacieJ.H.CodinaandSavannahSherman for the Florida Bar Journal. "Using hunting and fishing as the first-rung approach for managing wildlife could have a catastrophic effect on wildlife populations throughout the state, and such a drastic change would only require 60% of votes to be enacted."
One example of this is the 2015 Florida black bear hunt.
Once hunted nearly to extinction, the Florida black bear was considered threatened under the Florida Endangered Species Act. Over decades the population built back up until 2015 when the FWC found it necessary to allow black bear hunting for a week to reduce the population.
The FWC capped the statewide limit at 320. By the end of the first day, the agency shut down the hunt in the central and east Panhandle regions for killing several times the kill limit for the areas. By the end of the second day, at least 295 kills had been reported and the hunt was quickly shut down statewide. Social media filled with photos of dead bears.
Later attempts for new bear hunts were blocked or dropped due to outcry from the public and animal-rights activists, although the FWC has said the hunts can help maintain the population.
Other objections to the bill include the phrase "traditional methods," which could allow methods outlawed for cruelty such as steel-jaw traps or gill nets; the implication that the right to hunt, fish and trap supercedes private property rights; and the fear that hunting could be expanded into state parks and wildlife preserves.
Groups signing on to oppose the amendment include the Animal Law section of the Florida Bar, multiple Sierra Club chapters, the Center for a Humane Economy, World Animal Protection and more.
How many states include a right to hunt and fish in their constitutions?
There are aroundtwo dozen statesthat guarantee a right to hunt and fish.
However, only 11 of them specify that hunting and fishing are the preferred means of managing wildlife: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.
When is the 2024 general election in Florida?
The State General Election will beTuesday, Nov.5, 2024.
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, Oct.7. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 24.