Urban fishing is a type ofrecreational fishing that takes place in urban areas such as inner cities.
The United States Federal Government began urban fishing programs in 1969 during civil unrest in cities throughout the country.[1] It launched the program in six cities, includingSt. Louis, Missouri, which is one of the largest programs in existence in the U.S.[1] Several states run urban fishing programs where they stock ponds and lakes for anglers.[2]
Sewer fishing is a type of urban fishing whereanglers attempt to catch fish fromstorm sewers.[3] Fish wind up in sewers from flooding that takes place from nearby lakes and streams, causing fish to swim to and from the bodies of water.[4] Sewer fishing was documented in the 2018Nat Geo Wild television seriesFish My City.[5]
Pollution in urban waterways produces a risk for fishers when their purpose for fishing is consumption.[6] Throughout multiple rivers in the United States,carcinogens and hazardous chemicals such asmercury,dieldrin, andpolychlorinated biphenyls have been found in native fish populations including thestriped bass and thelongnose gar.[7] Due to the chemical composure of PCBs, it takes years to breakdown and particles persist in thefood chain long after their initial introduction into the ecosystem.
While theClean Water Act has led to improved efforts to regulate contaminants in waterways, the water must have a recognized purpose for mandatory testing.[8] Some of the challenges presented bypollutants enteringaquatic ecosystems can be lessened by finding an alternative to or limiting the use ofpesticides that can enter an ecosystem throughrun-off and finding alternatives to reduce the amount ofsingle use plastics that can pose hazards to aquatic life.[9]
