A selection of yesterday's headlines from the right-wing blogosphere:

"Now Obama Wants to Ban Sport Fishing."

"Obama Administration to Ban U.S. Citizens Fishing."

"White House Ignores Public Input, Proceeds to Limit U.S. Citizens' Fishing Access."

"Obama to Ban Fishing? What Next?"

What next, indeed. Here's what really happened:

Last month, per announced schedule, an Obama administration task force charged with developing a comprehensive plan for managing U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems stopped taking public input so it could prepare its final report.

In an op-ed piece published yesterday, ESPNOutdoors.com columnist Robert Montgomery characterized that development as follows: "The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters" (emphasis added).

Apocalyptic doomsaying ensued.

The trouble is, while it's true that the plan could impose restrictions on commercial or recreational fishing in some places, there have been no specific proposals to do so to date, and not a shred of evidence that the plan might include an outright "ban" on fishing (see the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force's interim report, released last September).

The real thrust of Montgomery's column is that sport fishermen need to speak up for their rights before the plan is adopted to ensure no such thing happens. Fair enough. In the meantime, we can do without any more works of fiction on the order of "Obama to Propose Ban on Sport Fishing."

Update:
• ESPNOutdoors.com Editor Admits 'Errors,' Says Column Wasn't 'Properly Balanced'

Read more about it:

• Public Input Period for Federal Fishery Strategy Has Ended

• Fishermen's Fear: Public's 'Right to Fish' Shifting Under Obama?

• ESPN Scaremongering: Obama to Ban Fishing?

• The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

Rumor: Obama Bans Sport Fishing in America originally appeared on About.com Urban Legends on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 15:46:06.

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