A Ban on Soft Plastic Lures?

Could soft plastics soon be banned?  There is a bill in the state of Maine that proposes to do this.  However, it is a unclear what the bill is actually trying to do, calling for the ban of "rubber" lures, without defining what "rubber" lures are.  Are rubber skirts on jigs and spinnerbaits included in this legislation?  What about "natural plastics" such as Berkley Gulp?  Here is the exact wording of the proposed legislation:

H.P. 37 House of Representatives, January 17, 2013

An Act To Prohibit the Use of Rubber Lures for Fishing

Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered

printed.

MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND

Clerk

Presented by Representative DAVIS of Sangerville. (BY REQUEST)

Be it enacted by the People of 1 the State of Maine as follows:

     Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12654, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A,    §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:

     1. Prohibition. A person may not angle or fish other than by the use of the single baited hook and line, artificial flies, artificial lures, except for artificial lures made of rubber, and spinners, except that a person may take smelts in accordance with rules adopted with regard to the taking of smelts.

SUMMARY

This bill prohibits the use of artificial lures made of rubber when angling or fishing.

I am pretty sure that this bill will not pass, but is is going to plant the thought in the minds of politicians, anglers, and environmentalists alike.  So, will it ever happen?  Should it happen?  What should the bill say?

With Fish Tattoo being as much about conservation as it is about fishing...I can understand both sides.  I am not saying that there should be an outright ban on soft-plastic lures though.  But maybe we should start thinking more about how what we are fishing impacts the health of the fish and the environment.

If anglers do not move to the forefront of this this issue, then everyone else will take it over and let it run out of control.  We, as anglers, need to take charge, and make steps in the right direction to protect the fish and waters that we love.  I think we do need to continually be looking at what we are doing and trying to improve on our environmental controls, but outright banning "rubber" lures is a bit crazy.  Again, I think that anglers need to jump on this and start implementing steps to eliminate lures that if swallowed by a fish, or broken off and left in the water, have a negative impact on fish.  Show the world that we actually do care about the environment, and that we are not a bunch of fat, ignorant, red-necks, who have no regard for the environment whatsoever.

What do you think? Should we keep the status quo because nothing will actually happen?  Are fishing with soft plastics bad for the environment or fish?  Should this bill be enacted, amended, or should new legislation be proposed?  Let me know what you think.