A periodic information source for members of the American Sportfishing
Association and partners on issues of interest to the future of fishing.
June 17, 2004
ICAST Just Around the Corner—Pre-registration
for ICAST 2004, to be held July 14-16 at the Las Vegas
Convention Center, is open through June 18—those
who register on or before can avoid the lines at on-site registration
and receive show badges in advance. June 18 also is the deadline for
entering products in the New Product Showcase, letting us know about
show specials so we can help promote them, arranging for meeting rooms
at the convention center, and getting discounted rates at our ICAST
hotel blocks. So far, we have more than 3,000 people registered for
the event, which will feature 1,100 booths for 378 exhibitors, an increase
of 140 booths and 50 exhibitors over last year. For more information,
visit our website ,
or contact ICAST Director Maria
del Valle,
703.519.9691 x240, or ICAST Coordinator Suzannah Weeks,
703.519.9691 x231.
New Board Members Elected—The
votes for three regional seats and three at-large seats for ASA’s
Board of Directors for 2005-2006 were tallied last week. Dave Burkhardt
with Triple Fish International; Peter Foley with Boone Bait Company (reelected
for a second term); and Jeff Pontius with Zebco, were elected for the
at-large seats. Randy Lemcke with Plano Molding Company was reelected
to a second term representing the Great Lakes Region, Tom Fote with Jersey
Coast Anglers Association was elected to represent the Northeast Region,
and Geoff Ratte with Water Gremlin Company was reelected to represent
the Northern Plains and Inter-Mountain Region. Congratulations to all
and thank you for serving the industry on the Board of Directors. For
more information, contact Joyce Anderson-Logan, Executive Assistant
to the President, 703.519.9691 x233.
Fishing Makes Top 10 for Women’s
Sporting Choices—The National Sporting Goods Association
released some new data in May on women’s sports participation,
showing fishing ranks tenth with 11.3 million participants. The data
is derived from a survey of 20,000 U.S. households. More information
is available on www.nsga.org.
Leading the Way on Ocean Policy—ASA spearheaded
preparation of the sportfishing community’s response to the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy’s preliminary report, the first major
ocean policy review in more than 30 years. The sportfishing community’s
comments focused on improving recreational fishing data, reducing conflicts
of interest in allocation decisions, balancing representation on fishery
management councils, and the appropriate use of marine protected areas.
The Commission will review public comments and submit a final report
to Congress and the President later this summer. For more information,
contact Special Projects Director Forbes
Darby, 703.519.9691 x222.
White Marlin Recovery Update—ASA continues
to work with the Coastal Conservation Association to advocate for stronger
international conservation measures for white marlin and against a domestic
measure to list the marlin under the Endangered Species Act. The National
Marine Fisheries Service’s 2002 decision not to list the white
marlin under the Endangered Species Act is being challenged by a lawsuit,
and CCA and ASA have joined together to intervene on behalf of the government
to counter the challenge since only about 5 percent of all white marlin
mortality occurs in U.S. waters and an ESA listing would have no impact
on international take. This is a complicated issue, with potential ramifications
on other saltwater fishing, so stay tuned for more communications from
us as the lawsuit unfolds. For more information, contact Special Projects
Director Forbes Darby,
703.519.9691 x222.
New Rallying Power for National Fishing
and Boating Week—Starting with a nationally publicized kickoff
event with former NFL Coach Jimmy Johnson in Central Park, the sportfishing
community took our National Fishing and Boating Week observance to a
higher level this year. Great news from the Recreational Boating and
Fishing Foundation is the number of registered fishing week events nationwide
grew to more than 700 this year, an 80 percent increase over last year.
In Washington, the highlight of the week was ASA’s annual awards
presentation during our Congressional Reception, where more than 250
people gathered to pay tribute to U.S. Senator John Breaux, who received
ASA’s
Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award, and Tom Bedell of Pure Fishing,
who was honored with the Future of Fishing Award. For more information,
contact Vice President Gordon
Robertson, 703.519.9691 x237 or Policy
Fellow Deanna
Wood, 703.519.9691 x228.
Many Thanks—Especially at this time of year,
we know it’s difficult for our
members to take the time to make the trek to Washington to be a part
of National Fishing and Boating Week activities here, yet this involvement
is critical to our effectiveness in raising the profile of sportfishing
with policy-makers in the nation’s capital. Special thanks to the
following ASA member companies and organizations for helping to promote
the values of sportfishing during nearly two dozen visits with Members
of Congress and other special events during National Fishing and Boating
Week: Boone Bait Company, Colorado Division of Wildlife, D.J. Case & Associates,
G. Loomis, Izaak Walton League of America, Jersey Coast Anglers Association,
Kaplin Associates, Kreha Corporation of America, Lamiglas, National Marine
Manufacturers Association, Normark Corporation, O. Mustad & Son,
Plano Molding Company, Pure Fishing, Red Drum Tackle Shop, Salt Water
Sportsman, Shimano, States Organization for Boating Access, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Water Gremlin Company, Yakima Bait Company, and
Zebco. We’d also like to thank Scott Rayder, Chief of Staff
at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for sharing information
and insights about marine fisheries management policies, and how we can
make progress together, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
for co-sponsoring the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Breakfast.
Lead Sinker Legislation Surfaces Again—New Hampshire
and Vermont both passed legislation in May related to lead fishing sinkers.
The New Hampshire legislation, to take effect
January 1, 2005, prohibits the possession and use of lead sinkers or
jigs while freshwater fishing in the state, and prohibits the sale of
lead sinkers and jigs in the state. The Vermont legislation would phase
out the use of lead sinkers, prohibiting the sale of lead sinkers starting
in January 2006 and prohibiting the use of lead sinkers starting in January
2007. For more information, contact Vice President Gordon Robertson,
703.519.9691 x237.
Improving Fishing on National Forests—ASA, Trout
Unlimited, two state fishery chiefs, and USDA Forest Service staff recently
made a presentation to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth on the state of
the Forest Service’s fishery program, based on
a thorough evaluation by the team over the last year. A report developed
from this evaluation contains 39 recommendations and is benchmarked against
the highly successful Rise to the Future fishery effort initiated by
the Forest Service in 1987. Key findings recommend a Forest Service Sportfish
and Aquatic Resource Advisory Council, budget realignments, staff training,
and more advocacy for fishing on the National Forest System. This report
and its implementation is important because the Forest Service provides
more sportfishing opportunities than any other federal land management
agency. Chief Bosworth accepted the report and supports the team in presenting
findings to the entire Forest Service leadership later this month. For
more information, contact Vice President Gordon
Robertson, 703.519.9691
x237.
Sportfishing Summit Update—The
2004 Sportfishing Summit will take place October 27-29 at the Westin Resort
on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Based on exceptionally strong member feedback,
the program will include the return of China expert Michael Colopy who is scheduled
to headline one of the signature sessions. We’re also going to take advantage
of the occasion to collaborate on ways to establish a stronger advocacy network
to protect the future of our sport. We’ll provide more information on the
agenda at ICAST and in future member communications. For more information, contact
Special Projects Director Forbes Darby, fdarby@asafishing.org or 703-519-9691
x222.
Grants Galore—The Future Fisherman
Foundation awarded 44 grants to physical education teachers across
the country to teach fishing and boating skills under this year’s National
Physical Education Grants Initiative. A workshop to assist the teachers in
carrying out the most effective programs is planned for July. The FishAmerica
Foundation’s
appeal for grant proposals for coastal fisheries restoration drew 46
proposals worth more than $1.4 million. Those receiving these grants will
be notified in September. FishAmerica will be able to expand its reach even
further because of growing support from the industry—this year’s
ASA member contributions have increased by 70 percent so far. Special thanks
to everyone going above and beyond your member dues to make a difference
for conservation and fishing education. For more information about the Future
Fisherman Foundation, contact Executive Director Anne Glick, aglick@asafishing.org
or 703-519-9691 x238; for more information about the FishAmerica Foundation,
contact Managing Director Johanna Laderman, jladerman@asafishing.org or 703-519-9691
x245.
President’s Corner—With all the attention
and momentum that’s transforming ocean policy these days, and considering
the growing popularity of saltwater fishing, we took the opportunity during
our National Fishing and Boating Week events to spotlight marine conservation
issues that are important to the sportfishing industry.
If it had come a few days sooner, we also could have celebrated a significant
victory: the appointment of two veteran ASA members to fishery management
councils that guide decisions about how we manage ocean fisheries. This week,
the Commerce Department announced Rip Cunningham, longtime editor of Salt
Water Sportsman (and Chair of ASA’s Saltwater Government Affairs Committee),
has been appointed to the New England Fishery Management Council, and Roger Thomas
of the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association was appointed to the Pacific
Fishery Management Council.
Getting more representation for recreational fishing interests on these councils
has long been a priority for ASA and the sportfishing community—so much
so that this year we voiced this concern with the President, the White House
Council on Environmental Quality, leaders in the Commerce Department, and everyone
in between. We encouraged other ASA members to voice their votes by writing in
to decision-makers to support these candidates. And it just goes to show
when we come together on the important issues, and keep a little persistence
in our pockets along the way, our voice and our interests do matter. Let’s
keep it up!
