A periodic information source for members of the American
Sportfishing Association and partners on issues of interest to the future
of fishing.
January 2005
March 2005 Board Meeting
The ASA Board of Directors is scheduled to meet Friday, March
4, 2005, in conjunction with the ASA/Fred Hall Show in Long Beach, CA.
The Show Committee meets Thursday, March 3. The Nominating Committee
meets the morning of March 4, prior to the Board meeting. Nominations
Committee members are requested to have their nominations to ASA by
Monday, February 14. Board materials will be mailed the week of February
14. Contact Joyce Anderson,
x233, for more information.
Board of Directors Elections
Six director’s seats are up for election or re-election.
Three at-large seats — Clem Dippel, Fishing Tackle Retailer,
completed second term; Fred Neal, Cabela’s, Inc., completed third
term — term limited; and Gary Zurn, Big Rock Sports, completed first
term. Three regional seats: West Region — Jim Lebson, G. Loomis, completed
first term; Dick Pool, Pro-Troll, completed third term — term limited;
South Central — Ed Dinkins, Bass Pro Shops, completed first term; and
Southeast — Blair Wickstrom, Florida Sportsman Magazine, completed
first term. Contact Joyce
Anderson, x223, for more information.
ASA Board Chair Dave Pfeiffer Interviewed for Fishing Tackle Retailer
Magazine
FTR’s interview with Dave Pfeiffer, Shimano American Corporation,
penned by Tom Meade, appears on pp. 30-31 in the January 2005 issue.
Dave addressed his goals for the association and shared his viewpoints
on the state of the tackle industry.
San Francisco ASA/Fred Hall Fishing Tackle & Boat Show
Anglers and their families got their first taste of what’s
new in 2005 at San Francisco’s ASA/Fred Hall Fishing Tackle &
Boat Show held January 12-16 at the Cow Palace. With 30 percent more
floor space and a more than 50 percent increase in attendance over 2004’s
inaugural event, the show is well on its way to becoming not just the
first of the year, but the best of the year for northern California’s
anglers.
San Francisco Show Leads the Way in Angler Advocacy
The ASA/Fred Hall Sow provided an opportunity for more than 300
people to attend the Saturday morning Sportfishing Leadership Breakfast,
a major step in aligning the interests of the recreational fishing community
in California. Jim Kellogg, president, California Game Commission, Phil
Eisenberg, chair, Blue Ribbon Task Force (CA/MLPA) and Ryan Broddrick,
director of California Fish and Game and Tom Raftican, president, United
Anglers of Southern California brought the message to the individual
anglers attending that their voices are important and they can have
an impact on sustaining, and improving, recreational fishing in California.
Dave Pfeiffer, executive vice president, Shimano American Corporation,
and ASA Board of Directors chairman, and Mike Nussman, president and
CEO, ASA, reinforced that message. Michael Kelly, director, Recreational
Fishing, NOAA Fisheries; Tim Alpers, president, Alpers’ Owens
River Ranch; and George Steinbach, executive director, California Artificial
Reef program described their experiences and successes with the advocacy
process.
ICAST-ing in 2005 - Watch the Web
As of January 25, 258 exhibitors have reserved 1,013 booths for
ICAST 2005 which is 80 more booths than the same week in 2004. ICAST
once again appears to be moving to a sell out show with almost 90 percent
of the current floor space already sold. Now available on the ASA Website,
www.asafishing.org, are the most frequently asked questions about ICAST,
as well as the updated floor plan and Exhibitors List. Sponsorship opportunities
are now available. A mailing was sent to exhibitors this month outlining
sponsorship opportunities. Exhibitor registration is scheduled to open
in early February. Attendee registration is scheduled to open in early
March. For more information, contact Maria
del Valle, x240, or Suzannah
Weeks, x231.
ASA Staff Update
Deanna Wood, former GA policy fellow, joined the Finance &
Administration team as Administrative Services manager. Jesse
Graytock joined the Future Fisherman Foundation as PE Grants Coordinator.
He can be reached at x224. Jeff Bloem is now the full-time FishAmerica
Grants Coordinator. Jeff will be working with the NOAA Restoration Center
partnership and other conservation grants. Carol Forthman is the new
Director of Oceans Resource Policy. Carol has degrees in biology and
ecology as well as a law degree. She begins her tenure with ASA on February
1.
ASA Office Expansion
Membership Services and ICAST are in their new offices. All contact
information remains the same.
Policy Watch - Government Affairs Update
For more information, contact Gordon
Robertson, x237.
Meetings. In January, ASA attended a meeting at the White
House’s Council on Environmental Quality where the President’s
response to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s report was distributed.
ASA then met separately with CEQ leader James Connaughton to discuss
the sportfishing industries concerns with Oceans Policy.
In early December, ASA hosted an emergency FishNet meeting after learning
of a Department of Interior outsourcing proposal for the Federal Fish
Hatchery System. ASA is requesting the proposal be withdrawn and other
alternatives be explored. FishNet partners met with the White House
Council on Environmental Quality officials in early January to discuss
the issue.
In December, ASA participated in a meeting for an Office of Management
and Budget directed review of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Fisheries Program. The review will evaluate the successes of the program,
identify any problems in the program and make recommendations based
on the problems identified. The strengthening of the fisheries program
helps to enhance and restore fisheries all across the country.
Excise Tax. ASA met with the six regional Internal Revenue
Service Excise Tax Specialists who were attending a three day IRS workshop
on consistent enforcement of the excise tax across the U.S. and uniform
interpretations of IRS’ definitions relating to the fishing tackle
industry and archery industry.
ASA attended a meeting with the Excise Tax Working Group to formalize
the structure of the group in preparation to tackle the strategies identified
by the group.
Issue Response. ASA prepared comments in response to a California
Coastal National Monument Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Resource
Management Plan. Our comments focused on adding more information about
sportfishing and boating to the plan to maximize opportunities for the
public to fish and boat in the coastal monument areas.
Welcome New Members!
December’s new members are: Cape Hatteras Anglers Club,
NISID, Outer Banks Preservation Association, Saba Productions.com, South
Florida Sport Fishing Magazine, StrikeWorks Tackle Company, United Communications
Corporation. Welcome to ASA!
Dues Due!
The annual membership dues invoices were sent in late November
2004. Our thanks go to all ASA members who have already renewed their
memberships. If you didn’t receive your invoice or have questions,
contact Ann Sweeney, x241.
Conservation and Education
Future Fisherman Foundation. Thirteen schools out of
43 grant recipients have already started their fishing and/or boating
units in the 2004/2005 school year. All 43 grants will be completed
by the end of June 2005. For more information, contact Jesse
Graytock, x224.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Fisheries Division,
is an official Hooked On Fishing – Not On Drugs® (HOFNOD)
partner. Twenty-eight states now have paid state staff serving as HOFNOD
coordinators. For more information, contact Laura
Jerome, x254.
FishAmerica Foundation. For more information, contact Johanna
Laderman, x245, or Jeff Bloem,
x274.
FishAmerica received six proposals requesting $126,016 to restore and
enhance the fisheries resource in the Chesapeake Bay and its Maryland
tributaries. The grants will be awarded in May 2005, pending approval
of the Conservation Committee.
As of December 31, 18 members of the American Sportfishing Association
- Angler's Choice/Suncoast of America, Aqua-Scent, Boone Bait, Do-It
Corporation, Emmrod Fishing Gear, Frank & Fran's Fisherman's Friend,
Gudebrod, HMT Marketing, Inc., Inc., Inc., Inc., Inc., Inc., Lamiglas,
LLC, Ludwikoski and Associates, Mercury Marine, NETGRA, O. Mustad &
Son (USA) Inc., Pro Line Manufacturing, Reel E Good Products, Sphere
Group Inc./Pro Baiter, Sportco Marketing, and Yakima Bait Company -
donated more than $30,000 through membership dues donations, endowment
pledges, and FishAmerica-licensed product sales.
Message from the President
I want to thank Bart Hall and the members of his team for the
great job they did with this year’s – our second - San Francisco
show. The quality of audio-visual support and general booth layouts
all showed significant improvements over last year. A 30 percent increase
in floor space and a more than 50 percent increase in attendance also
contributed to its overall success. We are committed to improving the
show again next year and to continue to improve the attendance figures
as people renew their interest in this show.
According to Dick Pool, president, Pro-Troll, Concord, Calif., and
Western regional representative on the American Sportfishing Association's
Board of Directors, “for the second year of operation, it was
everything we could hope for. More boats, more exhibits and a very strong
public response. The icing on the cake was the Saturday morning anglers’
breakfast. It did a lot to link ASA with California’s fishery
leaders and the public.”
Harold Davis, president, Davis Boats, Pasa Robles, Calif., said, “if
you thought the old days were good, the new show at the Cow Palace is
the best ever. Over the five days of the show, the anglers just kept
coming.” Jonah Li, owner of Hi’s Tackle Box, San Francisco,
seconded Davis’ comments saying, “The show continues to
improve. The ASA will ensure that it gets better and better.”
My thanks go to Harold, Jonah and all the other exhibitors who helped
make the show such a success.
As Dick Pool said, the icing on the cake was the Saturday morning anglers’
breakfast. ASA’s mission is to ensure the future of fishing. But,
that mission cannot be accomplished without the help of the entire angling
community. It’s vital that we, as the recreational sportfishing
community, speak firmly, with conviction and with one voice.
