The City of Naples, FL has imposed a ban on fishing from its popular pier on Sundays in order to protect pelicans that were being injured by hooks and lines. The Naples Pier is open to fishing Monday through Saturday, but not on Sunday, according to the new ordinance. The Naples City Council voted to ban Sunday fishing in order to prevent pelican injuries. [1]
This Sunday ban is similar to the Covid mask mandates. We were told to wear a mask when entering a restaurant, but once seated, we were free to remove it. If you are just going to take off your mask once you’re seated and ready to eat, why did they make us wear it while sitting in the waiting area of the restaurant? Does Covid know when you are eating, so it won’t bother you then?
The same flawed reasoning applies when fishing is prohibited on Sunday but allowed on Monday through Saturday. Do city officials believe that pelicans can only get hurt on Sunday but not Monday through Saturday? Did the city council conduct a study to find out if Sunday is a family day for pelicans? Obviously, this Sunday fishing ban has nothing to do with protecting the pelicans. If the Naples City Council really cared about saving pelicans, they would ban fishing from the pier every day, not just on Sunday.
Sunday closings have more to do with encouraging people to go to church than protecting wildlife. If city officials in Naples, FL truly cared about protecting nature, they would be much more concerned about the expansion of new condos, car dealerships, and beachfront properties and would stop attempting to enact regulations requiring Sunday rest.
“In free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
