A periodic information source for members of the American Sportfishing Association and partners on issues of importance to the future of fishing.
March 12, 2004
Let Us Know What You Think!
We're getting a wonderful response to the membership survey we distributed
last month, and want to once again encourage all our members to take
a few moments to let us know your current interests and concerns and
how we can provide the best service to you. Download
the survey or contact Special Projects Director Forbes Darby, 703.519.9691 x222,
for info.
Senate Bill Includes W-B Reauthorization
Recent legislative activity related to Wallop-Breaux puts us significantly closer to achieving overall reauthorization and recovering tens of millions of dollars of these investments from the U.S. Treasury General Fund. A recently passed Senate transportation bill (S. 1072) included the major revisions to the law requested by the American League of Anglers and Boaters, including recovering $110 million per year in motor boat fuel excise taxes, continuing funding for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, increasing boating safety funding, and ensuring equitable distribution of funding between fishing and boating programs. For more information, contact ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson, 703.519.9691 x237.
Working Wonders for the Upcoming Fishing Season
Wallop-Breaux investments fuel the Water Works Wonders Campaign, including
our ability to mass advertise fishing and boating on the cusp of the
new fishing season each year. The national media buy for April through
June 2004 includes FOX Sports, ESPN and ESPN2, NASCAR, and Best Damn
Sports Show, Period; as well as magazines ranging from Sports Illustrated
to Time, and National Geographic to Fortune. For more information on
the Water Works Wonders Campaign and how you can get involved, contact
Communications Director Janet Tennyson, 703.519.9691 x227.
ICAST Update
Pre-registration for ICAST 2004, to be held July 14-16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is now open for representatives of exhibiting companies and all other attendees-visit www.asafishing.org and click on the ICAST icon to enter the registration pages. We recommend you make hotel reservations early-we have limited blocks of rooms at discounted rates at seven nearby hotels, all listed on our website. ASA's Show Committee made some significant decisions at their recent meeting related to floor space, 2004 show hours, and future ICAST dates. The committee asked us to expand the show floor even further for 2004 to accommodate growing interest in the now sold-out show. In addition, show hours for 2004 were changed slightly: the show will be open from 9:00 am-5:30 pm on July 14; 8:30 am-5:30 pm on July 15; and 8:30 am-4:00 pm on July 16. The committee also voted on Las Vegas as the location for the 2005, 2006, and 2007 shows, all of which will coincide with the National Marine Manufacturers Association's Marine After-Market and Accessories Trade Show (MAATS). For more information, contact ICAST Director Maria del Valle, 703.519.9691 x240.
Sportfishing Summit Slated for Hilton Head
Mark your calendars for October 27-29, 2004 for ASA's Sportfishing Summit,
to be held at the Westin Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Stay
tuned for agenda and logistics information in our newsletter and on
the Web. If you'd like to see what last year's event was like, visit
ASA's Shows and Events. For more information,
contact Special Projects Director Forbes Darby, 703.519.9691 x222.
Federal Partnerships Boost FishAmerica's Impact
We just received word that our longstanding partnership with NOAA Fisheries will be renewed for another 3 years, providing for a total of $3.5 million in funding for grassroots coastal habitat restoration projects. Coming up at the end of the month, FishAmerica will make available nearly $700,000 for matching grants under this partnership. We've also expanded a grant-making partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, providing for $500,000-worth of project funding over the next 5 years for fisheries restoration in the Southeast. For more information, contact FishAmerica Foundation Managing Director Johanna Laderman, 703.519.9691 x245.
Foundations Join Forces to Make Fishing Better
The New Jersey Conservation Officers Association, a Hooked On Fishing-Not On Drugs partner, gave the FishAmerica Foundation and the Future Fisherman Foundation an opportunity to join forces to make fishing better at the local high school where the association carries out a Hooked On Fishing-Not On Drugs program. FishAmerica will provide a grant to support students in restoring 25 acres of popular fishing ponds behind the school that host largemouth bass, yellow perch, catfish, and pickerel. In addition, more than 75 volunteers will donate 600 hours to clean up the shorelines and remove invasive plants, and students with the school's industrial arts class will install handicapped accessible fishing platforms. Once the project is complete, students will monitor and record changes in the ponds to learn about environmental science. For more information about Hooked On Fishing-Not On Drugs programs, contact Future Fisherman Foundation Assistant Director Laura Jerome, 703.519.9691 x254.
President's Corner
Spring hasn't fully sprung here in Washington yet, but we're getting enough balmy afternoons to remind us that the upcoming fishing season is not far off. It's been great hearing about the strong sales at the major distributor shows and the optimistic outlook for fishing this spring and summer. An important way we're trying to help is by supporting the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation in designing a more strategic approach to the media advertising portion of the Water Works Wonders Campaign.
For the last few years, a national media buy in major television, print, and radio markets has taken place from April through June to help kick off a strong fishing and boating season. This is reinforced by National Fishing and Boating Week promotions that encourage people to take advantage of free fishing days and thousands of fishing events taking place across the country in early June. What's different this year is RBFF is developing some new ways to measure people's awareness, attitudes, and action resulting from this fishing and boating advertising.
In addition to the national media buy for April through June, RBFF's Board of Directors advocated a new approach this year to add focused advertising in three experimental markets: Fort Myers/Naples, Florida; Knoxville, Kentucky; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Additional media buys in these markets will allow us to track and evaluate specific aspects of our media promotions-to see what works best and why. In the end, it's all about making the most judicious use of Wallop-Breaux investments that fund the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Water Works Wonders Campaign. We want to be able to tell you more specifically the dividends you're getting from these important efforts to boost fishing participation.
