June 2006 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 on ASA’s
Web site.
ASA Announces Board of Directors Election
July ASA Board of Directors
Meeting
All Things ICAST—Registration, Industry Breakfast, New
Product Showcase, Chairman’s Industry Awards Reception, MAATS
admission and More!
Magnuson-Stevens Act Passes Full Senate
IRS—Industry Director’s Directive
National Fishing and Boating Week 2006 Recap
ASA Presents Its Highest
Honors
2006 Sportfishing Summit Heads to Sunny San Diego
Data and Statistics
Web Site
Welcome New Members!
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
ASA Announces Board of Directors Election
Six new members of the American Sportfishing
Association’s Board
of Directors were recently elected to fill three regional seats and
three at-large seats, with their terms beginning October 1, 2006. The
Board members serve 2-year terms. Regional seats went to Jeff Marble,
Frabill, Inc., who will serve the Great Lakes Region, Jay Jolly, Boater’s
World Marine Centers, who will serve the Northeast Region and Gregg
Wollner, Normark Corporation, who will serve the Northern Plains and
Inter-Mountain Region. At-large seats went to Burt Steinberg, American
Rod & Gun, Chip Powell, Mason Tackle Co. and Jeff Pontius, ZEBCO/WC
Bradley, who was re-elected. For more information, contact Joyce
Anderson-Logan, x233.
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July ASA Board of Directors Meeting
The ASA Board of Directors is scheduled to meet Tuesday, July
18, 2006, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., prior to the first day of ICAST.
For more information or to confirm attendance, contact Joyce
Anderson-Logan, x233.
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ICAST 2006—The Hottest Ticket in Town
ICAST 2006—July 19-21, is less than three weeks away. Registration
is going strong with 7,000 attendees expected at the show. More than 300 media
representatives have pre-registered to report on the latest innovations in
gear and accessories. Hundreds of new items will be displayed at the New Product
Showcase, ICAST’s flagship feature. The New Product Showcase Preview
Reception, scheduled for Tuesday evening, July 18, is open to media and buyers.
Exhibitors and attendees alike are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
Tickets for the Industry Breakfast are going quickly. Please make your reservations
now to ensure a seat at this important, annual event. Plan now to attend the
Chairman’s Industry Awards Reception, July 19, to network with colleagues
and friends and to congratulate the recipients of the New Product Showcase “Best
of Show” awards and the “Take Me Fishing” Campaign’s
Manufacturer and Retailer of the Year. For all things ICAST, visit ASA’s
Web site.
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ICAST Overall Numbers
As of June 23, nearly 400 exhibitors have reserved 1,264 booths.
Attendees from 30 countries are pre-registered to attend the show.
With more than 1,500 buyers, over 600 manufacturers’ reps, more
than 300 media representatives and hundreds of other non-exhibiting
members attending, ICAST 2006 registration is now over 5,300 and is
expected to ultimately draw over 7,000 attendees. For more information,
contact Maria del Valle,
x240.
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ICAST 2006—It’s Not Too Late to Register!
The June 15 pre-registration deadline has come and gone, but
exhibitors and attendees are still encouraged to register online, however,
on-site registration rates now apply. Online registration is open until
July 13. To register, or for more information about ICAST, go to ICAST
2006 on ASA’s Web site.
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ICAST 2006—Exhibitor Service Manuals
Exhibitors who have paid both their booth fees and their ASA
membership dues should have received their Exhibitor Service Manuals
in the mail. Please contact Ann
Sweeney,
x241, if you need assistance regarding your membership status.
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Reelin’ & Dealin’—A Guide to ICAST-Only Show Specials
The new Reelin’ & Dealin’: A Guide to ICAST-Only
Show Specials was mailed to buyers who had registered by June 8.
The guides should arrive in the mail no later than the first week
of July. The Guide will also be available to buyers at Registration
during the show. For more information, contact Kelly
Camirand, x231.
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ICAST 2006 Exhibitors—We Want to Help You!
Every week, ASA sends an e-mail to ICAST exhibitors with “important
to know” information. Please watch your “in” box
for these important e-mails. If you missed any of these e-mails, they
are archived on ASA’s Web site under Exhibitor
Reminders.
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New Product Showcase Preview Reception
Buyers and members of the media are invited to a special reception
on Tuesday evening, July 18, to see the latest innovations in fishing
gear and accessories. The reception offers an exclusive sneak preview
of the New Product Showcase, the flagship feature of ICAST, prior to
the official show opening. This reception is open to New Product Showcase
exhibitors, buyers and credentialed media-editorial attendees only.
For voting in the Showcase, media and buyers are eligible for cash
prizes. The deadline for submissions for the New Product Showcase was
June 15. Contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Industry Breakfast—The Importance of Innovation
Tickets are still available for the ICAST 2006 Industry Breakfast scheduled
for Wednesday morning, July 19. ASA’s President
and CEO Mike Nussman will kick things off with a “state of the
industry” message for ASA’s members and ICAST attendees.
This year’s theme is the importance of innovation in keeping
our industry strong and prosperous. But innovation doesn’t just
apply to developing new ways to catch a fish. Innovation also applies
to sales, marketing and product pricing, particularly in the retail
sector. This year’s keynote speaker, Larry Steinmetz, Ph.D.,
president, High Yield Management, Inc., Denver, Colo., will have you
thinking very differently about pricing, sales and profits. Tickets
cost $35 each and may be purchased when you register.
If you have already registered, call (301) 694-5243 between 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. EST to purchase tickets.
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Chairman’s Industry Awards Reception
Join Mike Nussman, Dave Pfeiffer, ASA’s Board Chairman and Bruce
Matthews, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, as they present
the New Product Showcase “Best of Show” awards and the “Take
Me Fishing” Campaign’s Manufacturer and Retailer of the
Year on Wednesday evening, July 19, at the Las Vegas Hilton, Ballroom
A. To RSVP, contact Naomi Evans,
x221.
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ICAST Seminars
ICAST 2006 will feature two seminars covering the proliferation of counterfeiting
and the latest information regarding the federal manufacturers’ excise
tax. Experts from the International Property Rights Center will share information
on what is being done and what can be done to thwart commerce in counterfeited
products. Members of the IRS will be in attendance at ICAST to answer questions
and provide information on paying the tax and provide updates on tax changes.
For more information on the ICAST seminars, contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Free Admission to MAATS 2006 with ICAST Badge
In 2006, ICAST coincides with the National Marine Manufactures Association’s
(NMMA) Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS), which targets
the special requirements of marine distributors, national retailers
and accessory buyers from marine dealerships. Your ICAST badge allows
you free entry to MAATS all-day, Friday, July 21. ICAST buyers and
media representatives are welcome to attend MAATS during the entire
show. For more information on MAATS please visit NMMA’s Web site.
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ICAST on the Web
We continually update the ICAST section
of ASA’s Web site with new information to ensure that exhibitors
and attendees alike have a top-notch experience at ICAST. Please continue
to check the Web site for the latest information and updates.
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Magnuson-Stevens Act Passes Full Senate
On June 19, the full Senate approved the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries
Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, which moved
forward with strong bipartisan support. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)
successfully lead the effort to reauthorize the act which bears his
name. The final Senate bill contains some modifications to the Committee
version; however, the changes do not remove any of the recreational
fishing industry’s priorities that were
in the version previously passed by the Senate Commerce Committee. Representative
Richard Pombo (R-CA) has pledged to bring the House bill, which has also
passed out of committee, to a vote before Congress' August recess. It is
likely that the two bills will not be identical. The bills will be reconciled
in conference to obtain a final version. For more information on ASA Government
Affairs activities, contact Gordon
Robertson, x237 or Carol Forthman,
x244.
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IRS—Industry Director’s Directive
As of June 28, ASA is still waiting for a copy of the IRS’s
Industry Director’s Directive. According to the IRS, ASA should
have a copy of the IRS’s Industry Director’s Directive
by June 30, 2006. As soon as ASA receives this document, it will be
e-mailed to ASA members subject to the federal manufacturers’ excise
tax on sportfishing equipment as well being posted on the ASA Web site.
Please watch your e-mail for this important information. For more information
on ASA Government Affairs activities, contact Gordon
Robertson, x237.
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National Fishing and Boating Week 2006 Recap
ASA’s National Fishing and Boating Week events, held June 5-7,
2006, provided an opportunity for ASA members to meet with Members of
Congress and federal agency representatives to discuss policy issues.
The Government Affairs committee, Freshwater and Saltwater subcommittees,
Data and Statistics, Trade and Commerce and Finance committees met during
the week. A Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill, and a Hill
breakfast briefing co-sponsored by ASA and the Congressional
Sportsmen’s
Foundation were highlights of the week. James Connaughton, chairman, White
House Council on Environmental Quality and Fran Mainella, director, National
Park Service attended the reception along with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK),
Representative Howard Coble (R-NC), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Representative
John Dingell (D-MI) and Representative Nancy Johnson (R-CT).Over 70 people
attended ASA events, with approximately 225 people attending the Capitol Hill
reception. ASA thanks all its members and partners for their support. For more
information, contact Patrick O’Rouke,
x 230.
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ASA Presents Its Highest Honors
On Tuesday evening, June 6, 2006,during
a Capitol Hill reception, ASA awarded its highest honors to two life-long
sportfishing advocates. U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-MI) was
honored with the Norville
Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award, and Jim Cummins, director,
Living Resources Section, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River
Basin (ICPRB), received the Future of Fishing Award. For more
information visit ASA’s
Web site.
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Sportfishing Summit Heads to Sunny San Diego
The 2006
Sportfishing Summit will be held October 18-20, 2006, at the Paradise
Point Resort in San Diego, Calif. The Sportfishing Summit is the premier
networking and business management event for the sportfishing industry. Registration
and lodging will be available in early August. For more information, contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Data and Statistics Web Site
The Data
and Statistics section of ASA’s Web site has been renovated
to make it easier to navigate. Critical information on the state of
the sportfishing industry is now at your fingertips with the click
of a mouse. We invite you to visit the Data
and Statistics Web site.
For more information, contact Rob
Southwick, 904.277.9765 or Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members
or members who reinstated their membership in June: 2'N 2 Fishing,
Reno, NV; Aquatic Release Conservation, Ormond Beach, FL; Automata
Devices Inc., Fremont, CA; BajaEdd Rod Racks, Newhall, CA; BlueStorm,
Kernville, CA; Dermatone, Windsor Locks, CT; Duncan McIntosh Company/FishRap,
Irvine, CA; Hartman Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan; Obsessive Products,
Inc. (OPI), Tampa, FL; Ocean Rider Sandals & Belts,
Inc., Miami, FL; Pacific Coast Sportfishing Magazine, Costa Mesa,
CA; Russ Cox, Inc., Montezuma, IA; Signature Concepts, Inc., Ballston
Lake, NY; Splash Marine, LLC, Stillwater, OK; Suremarker, LLC, Sarasota,
FL; and Yeti Coolers, Driftwood, TX.
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FishAmerica Foundation Updates
For more information about FishAmerica activities, contact Johanna
Laderman, x245.
FishAmerica Gulf Fund Update
With recovery from the 2005 storms
still underway, the FishAmerica Gulf Fund is seeking new partners and
donors to help restore the Gulf Coast sportfish populations, their
habitats and fishing facilities. The
Gulf Fund will provide grants to local sportfishing clubs and conservation
organizations for on-the-ground restoration efforts. So far, the
Gulf Fund has raised $16,000 through special programs and direct donations
from ASA members Zebco/WC
Bradley, Shimano and PriMedia as
well as public donations. We need your help to ensure our success. To
join our efforts, visit www.fishamerica.org or
contact Johanna Laderman,
x245.
FishAmerica Grants Opens Streams for Fish Passage in the Northeast
Through
its partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners
for Fish and Wildlife Program, in May, FishAmerica awarded $102,500
to restore fish passage to 74 miles of stream in the northeast and
mid-Atlantic. The grants will help remove three dams: the Rocky
Mount Dam along the Pigg River in southeast Virginia, the Ballou
Dam along Yokum Brook in Massachusetts and the Huntingdon Pike Dam
along Pennypack Creek in Pennsylvania. The projects will improve
access to shad, herring, bass, trout and Atlantic salmon.
Utah Residents
Granted Better Family Fishing Opportunities
Wasatch and Summit counties in Utah will have better family fishing
opportunities thanks to a $7,500 grant from the FishAmerica Foundation.
The Wasatch
Mountain State Park will use the grant to restore fisheries habitats
and improve water quality in the park’s one and a half acre pond.
The pond is the only community fishing pond in more than 3,000 square
miles and has an easy-access fishing area. This grant was made
possible through the generous support of Pro
Line Manufacturing who has donated more than $364,000 since 2001,
to help keep the nation’s fish and waters healthy.
New Partnership Engaging Communities to Benefit Fisheries Conservation
and Economic Development
Along with Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Lynn Scarlett and U.S. Representative Virgil Goode (R-VA), FishAmerica
staff attended the Pigg River Ramble, Rocky Mount, Va., to help launch
the VA RACER initiative. VA RACER, the Virginia Rural Area Conservation
and Economic Restoration Initiative, is a new partnership between
landowners, local communities, service organizations, conservation
groups, academic institutions, local governments and partnering state
and federal agencies who believe that strong communities and prosperous
economies go hand-in-hand with healthy lands and clean waters. The
partnership’s first project
is the removal of the 20-foot high Rocky Mount dam. Once removed, it
will allow fish passage to 63 miles of valuable fisheries habitat in
the Upper Roanoke River watershed.
FishAmerica Contributors
We would like to thank ASA members Automata Devices, Captain
Hook Enterprises, Castaic Soft Bait, Kanji
International, Matzuo America, and Outdoor
Pro Shop for their recent donations to the FishAmerica Foundation. We
would also like to thank ASA member FLW Outdoors for
their recent donation of $31,000. Forty-seven ASA members and
57 other donors have given nearly $130,000 to FishAmerica through
direct donations, FishAmerica Gulf Fund donations, licensed-product
sales, tournament partnerships and endowment donations.
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Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
For more information on Future
Fisherman activities contact Mike
Bolinder, x238 or Jesse
Graytock, x224.
2006/2007 Physh Ed Grants Awarded
The Future Fisherman Foundation, along with the Recreational
Boating and Fishing Foundation and the National Alliance for
Sport and Physical Education, has selected the recipients of the
2006/2007 Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Grants.
Entering its fourth year, Physh Ed has provided over $700,000
to schools to teach angling and boating skills in physical education
classes. This year, the foundation will provide a total of $205,000
to 42 schools for fishing and boating education programs. Physh
Ed grants will be administered in the following states: Alabama,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
and Wisconsin. For more information on Physh Ed, contact Jesse
Graytock, x224.
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Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
We’ve
all heard the phrase, “may you live in interesting times.” For
the sportfishing industry; it certainly is that.
ICAST 2006 is about three weeks
away. We won’t know until the show
is over, but according to our pre-registration numbers, this is going to
be an outstanding show for exhibitors and buyers alike. With more than
300 media representatives attending; I suspect that anglers will be pleased
with the news of the latest in gear and accessories that is reported from
ICAST.
It takes the effort of a number of people, from our Board of Directors
to our Show Committee members to our industry partners to produce ICAST.
I want to thank our members and our partners for your continued support
of our efforts. I would be very remiss if I also didn’t thank
the ASA staff for all the hard work they are putting into producing
this event. Putting on a show like ICAST requires team work and the
entire ASA team—members and staff alike—pull together to
create our industry’s trade show.
However, in the bigger picture,
ICAST isn’t the only venue that
drives our association. Advocacy on behalf of all our members is
the American Sportfishing Association’s way of keeping watch
on the existing and potential laws and policies that significantly
affect our members’ businesses and sportfishing itself. In
addition to monitoring emerging policies, our Government Affairs Program
involves fostering strong relationships with Members of Congress, conservation
and recreation partners and state and federal government leaders
to make sure sportfishing interests are represented when policy decisions
are made.
To that end, one of our most important efforts is fostering
a productive relationship with the White House. In June, Gordon Robertson
and I were invited to the White House for the announcement of the creation
of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument. Prior to this,
we had several days of discussions with White House staff where we
made it clear that although the association does not oppose this particular
designation, we have serious concerns about the precedent it may establish. Apparently
our message was heard. In his comments, President Bush recognized our
association by name and endorsed the importance of sportfishing saying
that he expects the government to protect the fisheries to ensure good
fishing and that “it’s in the nation’s interest that
we have a robust recreational fishing industry.” I also had the
opportunity to spend a few minutes with the President prior to the
signing ceremony.
Subsequently, we are now having conversations
with the White House about issues that are of keen importance to
our industry such as striped bass and the overall future of fisheries
management in this country. As always, we will do our best to keep
you informed about our activities.
On another note, I applaud the Senate’s passage of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act. I particularly
thank Senator Ted Stevens for his efforts in successfully leading the
Senate’s passage of the bill. In June, during National Fishing
and Boating Week, our members met with Senator Stevens where he was
very supportive and listened to our concerns. As of this writing, the
House still needs to pass the bill, but we expect that to occur before
the August recess.
The bill improves the role of science in fisheries
management and places limits on the establishment of no-fishing areas.
Any proposal for no-fishing areas must be subject to an open public
review process. Another provision requires that the economic impacts
of all sectors, including recreation, be considered when making allocation
decisions, a factor that has been missing in the current act. The
bill also takes steps toward improving recreational fishing data by
establishing a national registry of recreational anglers and requiring
the implementation of improved techniques for collecting this data.
Finally, the bill takes steps to reduce bycatch through the development
of new technologies.
As I said, these are interesting times for the
sportfishing industry. But I assure you that we are watching out for
you. Not just for today, not just for next year, but for 10 and 20
years from now. As President Bush said, “it’s in the nation’s
best interest to have a robust recreational fishing industry,” and
our goal is to ensure just that.
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