January 2008 American Sportfishing Association Member Update
Member Updates are e-mailed monthly to members of the American Sportfishing Association and our partners on issues of interest to the future of fishing. For more information, contact ASA Communications, 703.519.9691.
BELOW IS A LIST OF TOPICS IN THIS UPDATE. Please scroll down for the complete document. Previous ASA Member Updates are available in the ASA Newsroom.
Each month, ASA e-mails an update on its Government Affairs activities called Policy Watch. These documents can be found in the Government Affairs section of ASA’s Web site.
Revised Sportfishing in America report Now Available on ASA’s Web site
ASA to Release Updated Today’s Angler Report
ICAST 2008 – Exhibiting, Registration, Web site and more!
ASA Turns 75 in 2008!
ASA Board and Committee Meetings in Long Beach
Welcome New Members!
Renew Your Membership Dues for 2008
Spotlight Service—ConferTel
ASA Member Survey
ASA’s Consumer Shows Begin in February
RBFF Hooks States with Lapsed Angler Recruitment Initiative
ASA Remembers Outdoor Writer Robert Schmidt
ASA Bids Farewell to Ross Tuckwiller
FishAmerica Foundation Update
Future Fisherman Foundation Update
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Revised Sportfishing in America Report Now Available on ASA’s Web site
A January 2008 revised version of Sportfishing in America, produced by Southwick Associates for ASA, is now available. If you have a version that does not say “Revised January 2008,” please discard that report and download the new version <http://www.asafishing.org/asa/images/statistics/resources/SIA_2008.pdf> . The report is based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The report further analyzes the USFWS data providing information about angler numbers, annual days of fishing, sportfishing expenditures and their associated economic impacts.
TOP
ASA to Release Updated Today’s Angler Report
In spring 2008, ASA will publish a new Today’s Angler report,a detailed analysis of the information found in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Today’s Angler will contain over 200 pages of details describing who fishes, how participation and expenditures vary across regions and much more. This report will be distributed for free to all ASA members as an exclusive member benefit. Non-members will be charged a fee. Look for future announcements and highlights from ASA.
TOP
ICAST 2008 – July 16-18 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Questions about ICAST?
If you have questions about ICAST 2008, or need further assistance, please contact Kenneth Andres, ICAST associate, x231, or Maria del Valle, ICAST director, x240. For more details, visit ICAST on the Web.
ICAST Exhibit Space
The show floor is over 80 percent sold, and remaining booth space is going quickly. Companies who want to exhibit at ICAST 2008 should submit an exhibit space contract as soon as possible to ensure their business is front and center for the 7,000 members of the sportfishing community who attend the show. For more information or to reserve your exhibit space, contact Kenneth Andres, x231.
Exhibitors—Promo Pak Coming Soon!
If you are exhibiting at ICAST 2008, one of the best resources ASA provides is the Exhibitor Promo Pak. The Promo Pak contains many items to help exhibitors promote their booths and attract buyers to the show. The Promo Pak will be mailed to all confirmed exhibitors in February and will be available online shortly after.
Registration for ICAST 2008
Registration for ICAST will open in February. When registering, please be sure to review the registration forms carefully, as some options have changed. Meanwhile, be sure to visit ICAST 2008 on the Web. This is your best source for all things ICAST. Check back often. The site is continually updated with new and exciting information about the show.
TOP
ASA Turns 75 in 2008!
This year, ASA celebrates 75 years of fish, fishing and being the world’s foremost sportfishing trade association. Do you have old documents or pictures from the days of ASA’s previous incarnations, the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association (AFTMA) and the Sport Fishing Institute (SFI)? Do you have stories to share about former members, past meetings or significant events from the early days of the sportfishing industry’s association? Let us know! Please contact Communications Director Mary Jane Williamson, x227.
TOP
ASA Board and Committee Meetings in Long Beach
ASA’s Board of Directors, Membership Committee, Show Committee and Nominating Committee will meet in March in Long Beach, Calif., in conjunction with the ASA/Fred Hall’s Fishing Tackle & Boat Show, March 5-9, 2008. The Membership Committee meets March 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Show Committee meets March 6, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. The Nominating Committee meets March 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. ASA’s Board of Directors meets March 7, from 9:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information, contact Joyce Anderson-Logan, x233.
TOP
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes new and returning members BoatBuckle Brand Tie-Down Systems, Westfield, Indiana; CTI Industries Corporation, Barrington, Illinois; King Sailfish Mounts, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Lucky Strike Bait Works, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; Mystic Tackleworks, Inc., Mystic, Connecticut; Organized Fishing, Santa Rosa, California; Reel Screamers, Inc., Miami, Florida; RMC BoatWorks, Mingoville, Pennsylvania; Southwest Florida Outdoors, Cape Coral, Florida; Spin Master Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sportfishing Association of California, San Diego, California; SPOT, Inc., Milpitas, California; Szco Supplies, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland; The Bait Box, Sanibel, Florida; Thundermist Lure Company, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada; Townsend & Townsend and Crew, LLP, San Francisco, California; and Vexilar, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota.
TOP
Renew Your Membership Dues for 2008
If you have already renewed your 2008 ASA membership dues, we thank you for your continued commitment to the sportfishing industry’s trade association. If you have yet to renew your dues, you are welcome to call Membership Director Jill Calabria, x234, or Membership Services Manager Ann Sweeney, x241, to renew over the phone with a credit card. For those companies who pay dues in installments, please remember that the second payment is due on February 15. If you need another copy of your invoice or would like to ask if your company dues are current, please contact Jill Calabria or Ann Sweeney.
TOP
Spotlight Service—ConferTel
ASA offers discounted teleconferencing services through a partnership with ConferTel, a leading teleconferencing company. ConferTel offers a variety of services to ASA members, including phone conferencing, teleseminars and Web conferencing. ASA members will realize up to a 30 percent savings. For more information, please contact Garrett Colbert, 866-930-4500, to establish an account or visit their Web site at www.confertel.net. ConferTel is just one of the many business service programs available exclusively for ASA members. For more information on ASA membership and its benefits, please contact Jill Calabria, x234.
TOP
ASA Member Survey
It’s time once again to let ASA know how we are doing as your trade association and how we can better serve you. We want to hear what we are doing right and how we can improve in our quest to serve our members in leading the way for fishing’s future. Southwick Associates sent the survey to ASA members via e-mail on Thursday, January 10, 2008. The last reminder is scheduled to be e-mailed to members on February 5, 2008, with a deadline for response of February 13, 2008. If you are an ASA member and you have not received the survey, please contact Rob Southwick, 904-277-9765.
TOP
ASA’s Consumer Shows Begin in February
The ASA/Fred Hall’s Fishing Tackle, Boat and Travel Shows on the west coast and ASA’s three sport shows on the east coast are just around the corner. For more information on the east coast shows, go to www.sportshows.com. For more information on the west coast shows, go to www.fredhall.com.
TOP
RBFF Hooks States with Lapsed Angler Recruitment Initiative
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and 30 state fish and wildlife agencies are embarking on a direct mail marketing campaign to help states increase participation in fishing and generate awareness of the connection between fishing license sales and conservation efforts. For more information, contact RBFF State Outreach Manager Stephanie Hussey, 703.778.5152.
TOP
ASA Remembers Outdoor Writer Robert Schmidt
Outdoor writer, editor and publisher Robert Schmidt passed away in January. Schmidt worked with a number of publications and associations including Fishing Tackle Trade News and ASA’s predecessor, the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association. He was the first editor of In-Fisherman Magazine.
TOP
ASA Bids Farewell to Ross Tuckwiller
Ross Tuckwiller, Fisheries coordinator for the Energy Policy Initiative, has completed his one-year term with ASA. He has accepted a field representative position with the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in Colorado. ASA wishes Ross all the best in his future endeavors.
TOP
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
To help FishAmerica keep our nation’s fish and waters healthy, contact Executive Director Johanna Laderman, x245, or Grants Manager Erica George, x247. Donate to FishAmerica online!
Deadline Approaching for Fish Habitat Restoration Proposals
The FishAmerica Foundation, in partnership with the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program, is accepting proposals from community-based groups for on-the-ground projects to restore marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including salt marshes, mangrove forests and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species (fish like salmon and striped bass that migrate to and from the sea). Proposals are due on February 11, 2008, by 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. Interested organizations can find the application packet at www.fishamerica.org/grants.
TOP
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
For more information on Future Fisherman activities, contact Executive Director Anne Danielski, x254, or Program Coordinator Jessie Moore, x224.
HOFNOD/DOJ Program Serves More Boys & Girls Clubs in 2008
The Future Fisherman Foundation has partnered for a second year with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Law Enforcement and Youth Partnerships for Crime Prevention. As part of this program, the Foundation will train Boys and Girls Clubs’ staff through the Hooked On Fishing–Not On Drugs® (HOFNOD) program. This training will focus on the fundamentals of fishing, which can then be passed on to young people involved in the Boys and Girls Clubs (BGC).
The clubs selected as part of the Foundation’s grant program for 2008 have doubled over 2007. They are: BGC of White Mountain Apache, White River, AZ; BGC of the South Bay, Harbor City, CA; East Los Angeles BGC, East Los Angeles, CA; Challengers BGC, Los Angeles, CA; BGC of Greater Sacramento, Sacramento, CA; BGC of San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA; BGC of Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA; BGC of Lower Naugatuck Valley, Shelton, CT; BGC of Greater Washington-DC, Silver Spring, MD; BGC of Bay County, Bay City, MI; BGC of Elk River, Elk River, MN; BGC of the Twin Cities-St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN; BGC of the Midlands, Omaha, NE; Mescalero Apache BGC, Mescalero, NM; BGC of Schenectady, Schenectady, NY; BGC of Green Country, Pryor, OK; BGC of Erie, Erie, PA; BGC of Newport Co., Newport, RI; BGC of Central Mississippi, Jackson, MS; and BGC of Greater Sanford/Lee County, Sanford , NC.
TOP
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
As an industry and as your association, we’ve got some difficult issues to address as we move forward into 2008.
The 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife national survey did show a further decline in fishing participation. But this is not new “news.” We know that competition from indoor activities, an aging population, increasing fuel prices and the overall urbanization of our county are all playing a part in this. The current state of the economy is going to have its impact on many business sectors and from my conversations with members, recreational fishing will likely be one of them.
However, I just returned from a Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) Board of Directors meeting where RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson and his staff outlined an ambitious schedule of programs and activities that address the participation issue. They have partnered with 30 state fish and wildlife agencies to launch a direct mail campaign targeted at lapsed fishing license buyers to bring them back into the sport. RBFF believes that this will result in 375,000 lapsed anglers purchasing a license in 2008, with a potential of $5.6 million in additional revenue for the participating states. RBFF’s Anglers’ Legacy program has a goal to sign on 50,000 new avid anglers as program ambassadors by March 31. So far, over 22,300 anglers have taken the pledge to introduce someone new to the sport.
The Future Fisherman Foundation has partnered for a second year with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Law Enforcement and Youth Partnerships for Crime Prevention. As part of this program, the Foundation trains Boys and Girls Clubs’ staff through the Hooked On Fishing–Not On Drugs® program. The number of clubs selected as part of the Foundation’s 2008 grant program is twice that of 2007.
Let’s give RBFF and the Foundation all the support they need to meet their goals to bring more people into the sport. Their work only serves to help our industry.
Access is another issue that is keeping me, and plenty of other people, up at night.
When it comes to angler participation and access, the establishment of marine protected areas, or no-fishing zones, is looming larger and larger on our radar screen. I assure you: we are vigilant in our efforts to ensure that the industry has a voice in this issue. The movement to create areas in our nation’s marine coastal waters where recreational fishing is not permitted represents a complete change in how fisheries management is conducted in this country. This shift to manage habitat through preservation (no access) ignores proven, existing fishery management techniques and practices. More importantly, it ignores that we can manage habitat and still use a sustainable, renewable and public resource.
California, under the Marine Life Protection Act, has already closed nine percent of its state marine waters, and they have only just begun the process to close more. ASA, along with its West coast partners recently met in California to discuss strategy for the final months of this phase of the Marine Life Protection Act implementation and laid the groundwork for its efforts in Phase Three. Phase Three will begin in the coming weeks and focus on waters in Southern California.
And that’s just California. We’re seeing the same efforts to establish marine protected areas for the Oregon and Washington state coasts. It’s also happening in Florida with the Dry Tortugas National Park, the Keys and the Everglades. In the Gulf of Mexico a proposal for “Islands in the Stream” drafted by NOAA’s sanctuaries division seeks to vastly expand no-fishing zones in the Gulf.
What’s the reasonable approach to establishing marine protected areas? Certainly, first and foremost, we must question the need for these designations. Does the science support them? Have other management measures been given time to succeed? Have the economic, social and biological impacts been fully studied? If a need to close a fishery or an area to recreational fishing is determined to be prudent, is there a clear process by which the area will be reopened to sportfishing once the stocks recover? These are the questions that we continually ask whenever a new marine protected area is proposed.
This brings me to the issue of the fisheries themselves. We can preserve access, but clearly if there are not abundant fish, the fishing experience is diminished. Rebuilding our fish stocks goes hand in hand with good fisheries management. As an association, we have been, are and will be on the side of using the most up-to-date and reliable science in order to manage our fisheries. This applies to both fresh and saltwater species.
ASA supports provisions that not only aim to end overfishing of all species, but also aim to minimize the adverse impacts of fisheries management measures on communities who depend on recreational fishing. To establish regulations that successfully increase fish stocks with the end result of putting people out of business is hardly an appropriate course of action.
What are appropriate courses of action? Increasing participation in our sport; preserving access to our public resources; and ensuring abundant fisheries. As your association, everything we do is focused on your success. And we need your support to do it. Please step up and take action when asked. Contact your state and federal policy makers to ensure they are aware of the issues we are facing. Become involved in an ASA committee.
Sportfishing contributes $125 billon each year to the national economy, supporting over a million jobs and providing $7.4 billion in state and local taxes. Our voices deserve to be heard.
TOP
