September 2005 American Sportfishing Association Member
Update
Member Updates are periodic information
sources for members of the American Sportfishing Association and
partners on issues of interest to the future of fishing. For more
information, contact ASA
Communications,
703.519.9691.
This is a partial list of the topics covered in this
update. Please scroll down for the complete document. ASA Member
Updates are available in the ASA Newsroom.
2005 Sportfishing Summit Details
ASA Board Meets in October
Planning for ICAST 2006
Welcome New Members!
Keepin’ Up with ASA
RBFF Holiday Gift Guide Deadline
ASA/FishAmerica Staff Attend Cooperative Conservation Conference
ASA and Foundation Staff Attend National Meetings
Policy Watch—Government Affairs Update
Future Fisherman Foundation Update
FishAmerica Foundation Update
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
2005 Sportfishing Summit, October 5–7, Key Largo, FL
The 2005 Sportfishing Summit is quickly approaching. All the
information about the Summit is available on ASA’s
Web site. ASA has developed a full agenda that will focus on angling
participation, the manufacturers’ excise tax and an industry
look at sportfishing’s future in 2006 and beyond. The two Thursday
morning business seminars will focus on the business culture of China
and the efforts ASA is making to expand its data and statistics program
to provide more information for ASA members.
ASA’s committees and the Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday,
October 5, with all ASA members and Summit attendees welcome to attend.
As usual, the agenda has ample time for social gatherings, fishing
and golf and other networking opportunities. Reservations for the Spouses’ Breakfast,
hosted by Byron Velvick, “The Bachelor” and co-host of
ESPN’s “Bass Center,” are still available. For more
information, visit ASA’s
Web site or contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
ASA Committees and Board to Meet at Summit
Much of the work of the association is accomplished with the
guidance of ASA’s members through its ten committees and the
Board of Directors. ASA’s committees are scheduled to meet throughout
the day on Wednesday, October 5, with the Board meeting on Thursday
morning, Oct. 6. The complete ASA
Committee schedule is available on ASA’s Web site. All ASA
members and Summit attendees are encouraged to attend the Committee
meetings.
ICAST-ing in 2006
As of September 23, 203 exhibitors have reserved
968 booths for ICAST 2006, scheduled for July 19-21 at the Las Vegas
Convention Center. This means that 80 percent of the planned floor
space is reserved; an increase of more than 200 booths during the
same time in 2005. In 2005, ICAST sold out for the fourth year in
a row. With more than 80 percent of the floor already reserved, ICAST
2006 is on track for another record breaking year. The New Product
Showcase, the show’s flagship
feature, continues to grow in stature with competition for one of the “Best
of Show” awards becoming more intense. Entering products in the
competition for Best of Show can significantly boost sales and publicity
year-round for the winning company. In 2006, ICAST will, once again,
coincide with the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s
Marine After Market and Accessories Trade Show (MAATS). ICAST 2007
is scheduled for July 11-13 in Las Vegas. For more information, contact
ICAST Director Maria del
Valle, 703.519.9691 x240.
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcome these new members or members who reinstated their membership in
August: Alpine Innovations LLC; Classic Guns and Knives; McClellan Nichols
Sports Syndicate; On The Water, LLC; Rainbow Plastics; Show Span Inc.; and
William Joseph/Water Mark.
Keepin’ Up
The August/September 2005 ASA newsletter is in the mail. An
online version can be viewed and downloaded from the ASA Website in
the Newsroom.
RBFF Holiday Gift Guide—September 30 Deadline
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation is preparing a holiday
media pitch that showcases the best fishing-related gifts to give this
December. The pitch will be sent to major newspapers and magazines
across the country, with the goal of being included in gift-guide stories
planned for the holiday season. RBFF will also be compiling an online
fishing gift guide on takemefishing.org.
ASA members with new and exciting products that would make a great
holiday gift should e-mail a brief description (with pricing) and a
photo to Kristin Larson at
Barton Gilanelli & Associates, RBFF’s
PR agency. Please include a Web site link in the e-mail. The deadline
for information submission is September 30.
ASA/FishAmerica Staff Attend Conference on Cooperative Conservation
ASA and FishAmerica staff attended the White House Conference on Cooperative
Conservation in St. Louis, MO, convened by the White House Council
on Environmental Quality. The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture,
Commerce, Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency co-hosted
the event. Nearly 1,000 representatives from the public and private
sectors attended the conference to discuss the advancement of cooperative
conservation. For more information, contact FishAmerica Managing Director
Johanna Laderman,
x245 or ASA Ocean Resource Policy Director Carol
Forthman, x244.
ASA and Foundation Staff Attend National Meetings
In September, ASA and staff from the FishAmerica and Future Fisherman Foundations attended
the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 95th Annual
Meeting in Nashville, TN, where hundreds of attendees heard from the
nation's wildlife conservation leaders, partners, and management experts. IAFWA’s new Oceans Policy Committee
met for the first time during the meeting. The FishAmerica and
Future Fisherman Foundations attended the American Fisheries Society’s
135th Annual Meeting in Anchorage, AK. The Future Fisherman Foundation
presented information about the foundation’s work, ASA member
support and government affairs activities on behalf of the foundation.
Policy Watch—Government Affairs Update
For more information on ASA Government Affairs activities,
contact Gordon
Robertson, VP and Government Affairs lead, x237 or Carol
Forthman, director, Ocean Resource Policy, x244.
Magnuson-Stevens Act Activity Continues
In August, ASA met
with Senate Commerce Committee staff concerning the working draft of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act. ASA submitted written comments on the draft
on September 6 and has been discussing the comments with Senate staff
throughout the review process. The Bush Administration released its
version of the Magnuson-Stevens bill on September 20, 2005. ASA will
be submitting comments on this version as well.
Access Issues at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
ASA has been
working with the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service
to find resolution to the issue of closing large portions of the National
Seashore to surf fishing access. In September, ASA, along with members of
the Outer Banks Preservation Association and Cape Hatteras Anglers,
met with North Carolina Senate and several House legislators and Frances
Mainella, director of the National Park Service. Mainella committed
to take action to resolve the conflicts over off road vehicle access.
ASA will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with both
the administration and Congress to seek a solution to this long running
problem.
Update to the Highway Bill—Reminder to ASA members
ASA reminds
manufacturers of fishing rods that recently passed legislation establishes
a cap on the federal manufacturers’ excise tax on
each fishing rod. The tax is 10 percent, but it is not to exceed $10.00
per rod.
IRS Update on Manufacturers’ Federal Excise Tax Essential
Terms Guidance
The IRS, with input from ASA’s Excise Tax Committee is completing
a set of draft guidelines of essential terms. The IRS originally planned
to have this new document ready for review by mid-July. It is
expected to be ready for ASA review in time for the Sportfishing Summit
next week in Key Largo.
Oklahoma, Vermont Form State Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucuses
With the addition of Oklahoma and Vermont, there are now 26 states
that have legislative sportsmen’s caucuses. The National
Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, now represented by more than half
of all states, provides the state caucuses with information and tools,
including model legislation, to promote the sportsmen’s agenda. State
Senator John C. Astle (D-MD), president, Executive Council, National
Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, is the featured lunch
speaker on Wednesday, Oct. 6, the first day of the 2005 Sportfishing
Summit.
Future Fisherman Foundation Receives a Multi-State Grant
The International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA)
awarded a $109,000 one-year, multi-state grant to the foundation to
produce and distribute to state resource agencies a “Guide
to Fishing and Boating with Children.” The information
is targeted to families with children age 5–18 with a desire
to fish and boat with their kids, but lacks the necessary skills or
information. By September 2006, 100,000 booklets will be ready for
distribution to requesting state resource agencies. For more information,
contact Assistant Director Laura Jerome,
x254.
FishAmerica Visits Alaska Project
FishAmerica visited the Anchorage (AK) Waterways Council for an update on the grant project
to restore fish passage along Ship Creek. Ship
Creek is an urban fishery that attracts 50,000 angler days during the
spring and summer salmon runs. While the grant is providing funds to
help remove a CAPP dam along Ship Creek, the Council is also working
with local and state officials and business and community leaders to
improve angler access to the resource. For more information, contact
Managing Director Johanna
Laderman, x245.
FishAmerica Sees Results of Chesapeake Bay Projects
The first five projects funded through FishAmerica’s partnership
with the Chesapeake Bay Trust are complete. In 2004, $91,000 was awarded
to five conservation organizations in MD to restore fish habitat, improve
water quality and enhance fish stocks in the Chesapeake Bay and its
MD tributaries. As a result, more than 1,100 volunteers planted 11
acres of wetland and riparian vegetation and created six acres of reef
habitat. The four-year partnership provides up to $100,000 each
year for fisheries habitat restoration. For more information,
contact Grants Coordinator Jeff
Bloem, x247.
FishAmerica Contributors
As of August 31st, 42 members of the American Sportfishing Association donated nearly $167,000 to
the FishAmerica Foundation through direct donations, licensed-product
sales, tournament partnerships and endowment donations. The members are: American Rod & Gun;
Angler's Choice/Suncoast of America, LLC; Aqua-Scent; Boone Bait; Captain
Hook Enterprises, LLC; Castaic Soft Bait, Inc.; Creek Company; Do-It
Corporation; Emmrod Fishing Gear; FLW Outdoors; Folbe
Products, LLC; Frank & Fran's Fisherman's Friend, Inc.; G. Pucci
and Sons; Gudebrod, Inc.; HMT Marketing, Inc.; JBS Fishing Line; Kanji
International Inc.; Kreha Corporation of America; Lamiglas, Inc.; Lil'
Hustler; Lipper Tools, Inc.; Lucky Craft, Inc.; Ludwikoski and Associates,
Inc.; Matzuo America; Mercury Marine; NETGRA; Nicholas-Shea Co., Inc.;
O. Mustad & Son (USA) Inc.; Outdoor Cap ; Outdoor Pro Shop; Persuader
American Angling ; Pro Line Manufacturing; Reel E Good Products; Shimano
American Corporation; Sphere Group Inc./Pro Baiter; Sportco Marketing,
Inc.; Team Nu-Mark; The Redfish Nation/J.M. Associates; Thomas Spinning
Lures, Inc.; Water Gremlin Company; Wright and McGill Company; and
the Yakima Bait Company. Bold names are new members
and have donated since the August Update.
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
The devastation that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have wreaked
on the people of the Gulf Coast is hard to imagine. We’ve all
seen the images on television and in newspapers and magazines of the
destruction to one of the most beautiful areas of the United States.
With its miles of beaches and open Gulf waters, it’s easy to
imagine living and working in such a place with fishing and boating
playing an integral part of everyday life. However, it’s going
to take many years for life and the landscape to return to normal and
the current estimate is that it will take $250 billion to rebuild the
Gulf Coast. ASA and the sportfishing community, through our FishAmerica
Foundation, went to play a role in helping that happen.
Next week, during the Sportfishing Summit in Key Largo, we’re
going to announce our intent to help the Gulf Coast rebuild its sportfisheries
and habitat. ASA and the FishAmerica Foundation will work with state
natural resource agencies to identify and prioritize projects. These
agencies have done heroic work over the past several weeks playing
an integral role in the relief and rescue efforts and they are going
to need our help. Fishing and boating are significant contributors
to the economy of this area and it’s only appropriate that the
sportfishing community play a role in helping rebuild it. We will keep
you informed as this project progresses.
The 2005 Sportfishing Summit will take place next week in Key Largo,
Florida. We have a great agenda planned for this year’s meeting.
William Conlon, director of Specialty Programs for the IRS, is one
of our featured speakers. He’ll be updating our members about
the payment of the manufacturers’ excise tax and the draft guidelines
of essential terms they developed with input from ASA’s Excise
Tax Committee. We’ll also be looking at the latest trends in
fishing participation and hearing from other business leaders—NASCAR
and NMMA to name two—about the challenges and successes in engaging
more people in their sports. A panel of ASA members is going to take
a look at the sportfishing industry in 2006 and beyond. One the first
day of the Summit, ASA’s committees and Board of Directors will
meet to discuss issues affecting the association and the industry and
determine appropriate courses of action. It’s an ambitious agenda,
but one that I believe will address some of the most pressing issues
facing our industry.
The ASA staff and I are looking forward to being your hosts at the
Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. Whether it’s in one of the general
sessions or in the hospitality suite, I guarantee that you will hear
information that is of value to your business and your bottom line.
