May 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.
Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
ASA Asks IRS to Provide Directive
ASA Honors Dingell and Cummins
National Fishing and Boating Week 2006
Board of Directors Election
Exhibiting at ICAST 2006
Reelin’ & Dealin’—A
Guide to ICAST-Only Show Specials
ICAST 2006 Sponsorships Available
ICAST 2006 Exhibitors—We Want to Help
You!
ICAST Attendee Registration and Housing
New Product Showcase Expands for 2006
ICAST on the Web
MAATS Co-locates with ICAST
Welcome New Members!
Membership Dues Reminder
New Member Insurance Benefit
2006 Sportfishing Summit Agenda Shaping Up
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
The House Resources Committee passed H.R. 5018 on May 17, 2006, with several amendments. The bill, sponsored by Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA), is the reauthorization legislation for the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The bill's provisions are similar to those passed in the Senate Commerce Committee in December. Important differences to recreational anglers in the House bill include the absence of any licensing or registration provision and the inclusion of more flexible requirements on total allowable catch and rebuilding issues. Both the House bill and the Senate bill provide guidelines for no-fishing areas and consideration of economic impact in allocation. For more information, contact Carol Forthman, x244.
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ASA Asks IRS to Provide Directive
Since the meeting with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on January 31, 2006,
the sportfishing industry has been awaiting an IRS Industry Director’s Directive. This Directive would explain and provide guidelines on how the IRS views tax payer responsibilities for the federal manufacturers’ excise tax that all sportfishing manufacturers must pay. On May 24, 2006, ASA sent a letter to the IRS’s
Director of Specialty Taxes requesting they provide this information so the
sportfishing industry can plan pricing and know how and at what point excise
taxes must be paid. In February 2006, ASA wrote a letter requesting that any
changes in compliance application become effective at a future date, allowing
the industry to plan for these changes. As of May 31, the IRS has not responded
to that request. For more information, contact Gordon Robertson, x237.
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ASA Honors Dingell and Cummins
On Tuesday evening, June 6, during a Capitol Hill reception, ASA will honor Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI) and Jim Cummins, director, Living Resources Section of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, for their outstanding support of the sportfishing industry. Congressman Dingell is the recipient of the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement award which honors an individual who has shown extraordinary leadership throughout his or her career in promoting the values of sportfishing and advancing collaborative approaches to conservation and recreation causes. Jim Cummins will receive the Future of Fishing Award which recognizes significant contributions to advancing fishing participation and promoting community involvement. For more information about the Capitol Hill reception, visit ASA’s Web site or contact Patrick O’Rouke, x230.
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National Fishing and Boating Week 2006
ASA’s 2006 National Fishing and Boating Week events
will be held next week on June 5–7, 2006, in the Washington, D.C. area.
Event registration information is available on ASA’s Web site.
Highlights of the week include a members and guests reception and boat cruise
on the Potomac River sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation;
a luncheon with federal and state agency representatives; various ASA committee
meetings; a Capitol Hill reception where ASA will honor the Future of Fishing
and the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement award recipients; and meetings
with Members of Congress and federal agency administrators. Dr. Mamie Parker,
assistant director, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, USFWS, is the Tuesday
lunch speaker. Please plan to attend and make your voice heard on important
sportfishing issues. Please be advised that ASA’s room block at the Residence
Inn in Alexandria, VA is filled. For more information, contact Patrick O’Rouke, x230.
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Board of Directors Election
Board of Directors election ballots are due today, June 1, 2006. According to the bylaws, only members with Regular membership status may vote. Associate members are not eligible to vote. For more information about membership status, contact Ric Ice, x234.
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Exhibiting at ICAST 2006
With the show floor completely sold out for several months, ICAST 2006 is the hottest sportfishing ticket in town. Booth space contracts continue to come in, but with 100 percent sold, remaining space is available on a wait list only. Exhibitor registration is open and all exhibitors are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The Exhibitor Promo Pak was mailed in early March. The Promo Pak is produced by ASA for ICAST exhibitors to assist them in building a successful show presence for their companies. Exhibitors who have paid both their booth fees and their ASA membership dues should have received their Exhibitor Service Manuals in the mail. Exhibitors may also access the Service Manual information through ASA’s
Web site. Please contact Ann Sweeney, x241, if you need assistance regarding membership dues. For more information about the Exhibitor Service Manuals, contact Kelly Camirand, x231.
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Reelin’ & Dealin’—A Guide to ICAST-Only Show Specials
Special product discounts—exclusive to ICAST—are a popular draw for retail and wholesale buyers. One of ASA’s
latest endeavors, debuting in 2006, will give buyers a better opportunity to
save money on product orders placed during the show. The new Reelin’ & Dealin’: A Guide to ICAST-Only Show Specials will be distributed to registered buyers approximately 4 weeks before the show. The Guide will also be available during the show. Exhibitors who submitted their show specials are listed in the current May/June issue of Fishing Tackle Retailer. For more information, contact Kelly Camirand, x231.
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ICAST 2006 Sponsorships
Available
ICAST 2006 sponsorship opportunities are
still available for exhibitors and all ASA members. For more information, contact Kelly Camirand, x231.
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ICAST 2006 Exhibitors—We Want to Help You!
Every Monday afternoon, ASA sends an e-mail to ICAST exhibitors with “important to know” information. Please watch your “in” box
for these important e-mails from ASA Communications. The deadline for Exhibitor pre-registration is
June 15. By pre-registering, exhibitors will avoid long lines at the show and
save money by taking advantage of the pre-registration discount. In addition,
all important ICAST deadlines are listed on page 31 of the Promo Pak.
Please check to make sure you aren’t missing important ICAST deadlines.
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ICAST Attendee Registration and Housing
ICAST attendee registration is open on ASA’s Web site. ICAST 2006 attendee registration brochures were mailed in early March. If you didn’t receive a hard-copy registration brochure, please feel free to register on the Web site. It’s
easy to register online with the step by step instructions. ICAST housing registration
is also open. Please make your reservations as soon as possible. Housing information is available on ASA’s
Web site.
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New Product Showcase Expands for 2006
This year, the New Product Showcase, the show’s flagship feature will draw even bigger crowds as competition for the "Best of Show" awards intensifies. In order to better represent the diversity of gear and accessories, we’ve expanded our product categories for 2006. The Rod and Reel categories have both been split into freshwater and saltwater and we’ve added a new category for the growing Eyewear industry. Additionally, Electronics is its own category while Boating Accessories and Giftware have been consolidated into one category. Exhibitors will now have the opportunity to compete in a total of 16 product categories as well as the overall “Best of Show.” All
New Product Showcase entry forms must be received by June 15. Additional details
and the official rules of the New Product Showcase are in the Exhibitor Promo
Pak. The Promo Pak is
available in hard-copy and on the Web site. Questions concerning the New Product
Showcase should be directed to Kelly Camirand, x231.
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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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MAATS Co-locates with ICAST
Once again, ICAST will coincide with the National Marine Manufacturers
Association’s Marine After Market and Accessories Trade Show (MAATS).
For more information on any and all things ICAST, contact Kelly Camirand, x231.
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Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in May: Advanced Taxidermy Wildlife Design, Inglewood, Ontario, Canada; American Ingenuity LLC, Baltimore, MD; Canada Metal (Pacific), Ltd., Delta, British Columbia; Delta Tackle Company, Ltd.; Delta British Columbia; Dorado Triada Bait Company LLC, Apopka, FL; E-Lures.com, Martinsville, IN; Laserlure, Inc., Titusville, FL; LoungAir International, Tarpon Springs, FL; McCowan Enterprises, Spokane, WA; Stearns, Inc., St. Cloud, MN; Sunbelt Sales LLC, Broken Arrow, OK; Tactical Tackle, New Orleans, LA; World Fishing Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Membership Dues Reminder
The April 21 deadline for exhibitors to be listed in the ICAST 2006
Buyers’ Guide has passed, but it’s not too late to be included in the Buyers’ Guide
Addendum. Simply remit your membership renewal dues by Monday, June 12 to ensure
your organization is listed. For more information, contact Ann Sweeney, x241.
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New Member Insurance Benefit
ASA is offering a new insurance program for charter boats, guides
and outfitters through Coastal Plains Outdoors. More information is available
on ASA’s Web site under Insurance Packages or by contacting Ric Ice, x234.
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2006 Sportfishing Summit Agenda Shaping Up
ASA invites its members and partners to join us for the 2006 Sportfishing
Summit scheduled for October 18–20 at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa
in San Diego, CA. ASA has a full agenda scheduled with committee meetings,
a session on profits and sales conducted by Dr. Larry Steinmetz, a nationally
recognized expert in maximizing profits while not cutting prices; and remarks
by Ted Fishman, author of China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World and one of the most sought-after speakers on the topic. Registration materials will be mailed in August. For more information, contact Mary Jane Williamson, x227.
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FishAmerica Foundation Updates
For more information about FishAmerica activities, contact Johanna Laderman, x245 or Jeff Bloem, x247.
FishAmerica Partners with Cool Fish Wines
In March, Stonehedge Winery, Napa, Calif. and producer of Cool Fish Wines,
signed an agreement with FishAmerica to provide a portion of the sales of its
Cool Fish wines and wine products to the Foundation. Although not the first
partnership of its kind for FishAmerica, Cool Fish Wines is the first non-endemic
partner to team with FishAmerica for cause-related marketing. The funds will
be used for projects such as fish passage restoration in California’s
Mattole River watershed and fish habitat restoration along the hurricane-devastated
Gulf Coast. For more information, contact John Bryan.
Cool Fish Wines at October Summit
During the Welcome Reception at this year’s Sportfishing Summit
in San Diego, Shahin Shahabi, owner of Stonehedge Winery, will be conducting
a tasting of Cool Fish Wines for members and guests. This is an opportunity
to taste the wines and support the FishAmerica Foundation.
Watershed Protection Conference
FishAmerica staff attended the 2006 River Rally in Bretton Wood, New Hampshire. More than 513 attendees representing 284 conservation organizations from 44 states attended the meeting centered on watershed protection issues.
Wal-Mart FLW Kentucky Tournament
FishAmerica staff attended the Wal-Mart FLW Tournament on Kentucky Lake
in Benton, Kentucky. FishAmerica continues to raise money through the sales
of the “It’s My World” wristbands. A grant of $6,850, including proceeds from wristband sales, a $1,500 donation on behalf of the National Guard and each day’s
leading pro angler and a $5,000 donation from FLW Outdoors will be awarded
to the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for fisheries and habitat
restoration.
FishAmerica Contributors
The foundation thanks ASA members FLW Outdoors and Pro Line Manufacturing for their donations. FLW Outdoors and Pro Line Manufacturing join 42 ASA members and 46 other donors who donate to FishAmerica through direct donations, FishAmerica Gulf Fund donations, licensed-product sales, tournament partnerships and endowments. FLW Outdoors has donated more than $260,000 since 2000, and Pro Line Manufacturing has donated more than $360,000 since 2001. For more information, visit www.flwoutdoors.com and www.prolineboots.com.
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Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
For more information on Future Fisherman activities contact Mike Bolinder, x238 or Jesse Graytock, x224.
Jerome Leaves Foundation
After 5 years of service, Laura Jerome, the Foundation’s Assistant Director and Hooked On Fishing–Not
On Drugs Coordinator, has accepted a position with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission in Tallahassee. For information, contact Mike Bolinder, x238.
Education Grants Workshop Scheduled
From July 9-13, the Future Fisherman Foundation will host its annual National Fishing and Boating Education Grants Initiative Teacher Workshop at Northwest Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan. Grant recipients receive instruction in spin-casting, fly fishing, fly tying, conservation, canoeing, kayaking and grant management. For more information, contact Jesse Graytock, x224.
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Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
From Memorial Day forward, the members and staff of ASA ratchet up our actions to a feverish pitch in preparation for National Fishing and Boating Week and ICAST 2006.
Next week, June 5–7, ASA staff and I will be hosts to industry leaders and partners who travel to Washington, D.C. for our annual Capitol Hill events. Our events center on visits to Members of Congress and their staff and federal agency leaders to advocate for the interests of the sportfishing industry. This year, the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the ongoing issues with the IRS’ continued
failure to produce new guidance for our industry are top on our list of items
to discuss.
However, National Fishing and Boating Week is also an opportunity for the association
and its members to say “thank you” to members of the sportfishing community who, by their actions, have shown exemplary support of the sportfishing industry. It’s an honor for me to announce that ASA’s
highest awards go to two very different, but equally exceptional advocates
of the sportfishing community.
The Honorable John D. Dingell (D-MI), the 2006 recipient of the Norville Prosser
Lifetime Achievement award, and his family have contributed more than two lifetime’s
work to the conservation, management and restoration of fisheries across the
United States. His father, former Congressman John D. Dingell, Sr., co-authored
the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, commonly known as the Dingell-Johnson
Act of 1950. The Act was the first act ever passed to ensure the management,
conservation and restoration of fishery resources. This year, Congressman Dingell
celebrates 51 years as a Member of the House of Representatives.
Jim Cummins, the recipient of the Future of Fishing Award, is Director of the Living Resources Section of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. Since 1987, Jim has lead the demanding, but equally rewarding and ultimately successful, cooperative effort to restore American shad populations to the Potomac River. While the project owes its successes to the support of many committed organizations and individuals, none of it would have occurred without the vision, determination and coordination provided by Jim.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, our members, partners and staff, I extend my sincere congratulations to both of these men for their outstanding achievements.
As we all know, ICAST is less than two months away. I hope you will
join us for what, I believe, will be an outstanding show. The show
floor has been sold out for months and registration is in full gear.
Exhibitors continue to submit their show specials and items for the
New Product Showcase are coming in at a fast and furious pace. 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.
If you haven’t already made your plans for ICAST 2006, please do so now. We’ve
got a great show in store for you.
See you in Las Vegas!
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