September 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 in the Government Affairs section of ASA’s
Web site.
2006 Sportfishing Summit
2006 Sportfishing Summit Agenda Highlights
Thank you to our 2006 Summit Sponsors!
ASA Committees and Board to Meet at Summit
ASA Committee Assignments
ASA Extends Condolences
ICAST-ing in 2007
Welcome New Members!
ASA Attends AFWA Annual meeting in Colorado
ASA and Future Fisherman Foundation Receive Multi-state Grants
RBFF Holiday Gift Guide—September 29 Deadline
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Future Fisherman Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
2006 Sportfishing Summit—October 18-20, San Diego, California
The 2006 Sportfishing Summit, the sportfishing industry’s premier networking
and business management event, is rapidly approaching. Although registration
for the Summit is still possible, please note that the pre-registration deadline
for the meeting and for housing has passed. In addition, ASA’s room block
is full. Other hotels are available in the area. For more information on the
Summit, contact Mary
Jane Williamson, x227.
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2006 Summit Agenda Highlights
On Wednesday, October 18, during the networking lunch, attendees will hear the
details of a new survey sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers
on what CEOs and senior management are thinking and planning in order to grow
their companies and compete in the global economy. On Thursday morning, Larry
Steinmetz, Ph.D., president, High Yield Management, Inc., and the 2006 ICAST
Industry Breakfast speaker, will provide insights into thinking smarter about
prices and profits. Also on Thursday, a panel of West Coast outdoor journalists
will provide insights into California’s Marine Life Protection Act and
how this issue is being reported in the media and public perception of the issue.
On Friday, China expert Ted Fishman will present a keynote address on the effects
of China’s rapid emergence as a world power. A panel of sportfishing industry
experts will discuss doing business in a global economy. As usual, the agenda
has ample time for social gatherings, fishing and golf and other networking opportunities.
The Summit concludes with lunch and the General Membership meeting on Friday.
A detailed
agenda is available on ASA’s Web site.
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ASA Thanks the 2006 Sportfishing Summit Sponsors for Their Support!
ASA thanks ASA members Plano
Molding Company, Bass Pro Shops, ZEBCO/WC Bradley, The Outdoor Channel, the Recreational
Boating and Fishing Foundation, BASS/ESPN Outdoors and Frabill, Inc. for their
sponsorship of the 2006 Sportfishing Summit. ASA also thanks Dana Landing and
Fastlane Sailing and Kayaking of San Diego for their in-kind support in providing
the kayak equipment for members’ use during the Summit.
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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 committees and the Board of Directors. ASA’s committees
are scheduled to meet throughout the day on Wednesday, October 18, with the Board
meeting on Tuesday, October 17, from 2:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. and Friday,
October 20, from 7:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m. For information on committees, contact Joyce
Anderson-Logan, x233.
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ASA Committee Assignments
Members who submitted their preferences for committee postings
have received their committee assignments. Over the next week, Committee
members should receive their committee meeting materials for the upcoming
Summit. All ASA members attending the Summit are encouraged to attend
the committee meetings in order to better understand how ASA staff and
your colleagues work on your behalf. All committees will meet on Wednesday,
October 18, at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. For a detailed schedule
of committee meetings, visit ASA’s
Web site to download the agenda. For information on committees, contact Joyce
Anderson-Logan, x233.
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ASA Extends Condolences
ASA extends its condolences to the family and friends of Richard H. Stroud, former
Executive Vice President of the Sport Fishing Institute, who passed away on
September 4, 2006. Mr. Stroud’s past achievements include President of
the American Fisheries Society, Chairman of the Natural Resources Council and
the publication of over 130 fisheries science papers and articles.
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ICAST-ing in 2007
As of September 29, 168 exhibitors have reserved 919 booths for ICAST 2007, scheduled
for July 11–13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This means that nearly
70 percent of the planned floor space is reserved. In 2006, ICAST sold out
for the fifth year in a row. With more than 70 percent of the floor already
reserved, ICAST 2007— the 50th anniversary of the show—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 companies. For more information, contact ICAST Director Maria
del Valle, 703.519.9691 x240.
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Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in
September: Alphatan International Inc., Markham, Ontario, Canada; Knox Aquatic
Resource Consulting, Evergreen, Colorado; and Weldon Tackle Manufacturing Inc.,
Cleveland, Ohio.
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ASA Attends AFWA Annual meeting in Colorado
In September, several ASA staff members, along with staff from the FishAmerica
and Future Fisherman Foundations, attended the Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies’ annual meeting (AFWA). Hosted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife,
this year’s meeting was the largest in AFWA’s (formerly International
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies) history with over 700 registered
attendees. Attendees heard from the nation’s fish and wildlife conservation
leaders, partners and management experts on issues related to agriculture conservation,
oceans policy, science and research, Multi-state Conservation Grants and threatened
and endangered species, fisheries and wildlife management and other topics.
The meeting also included a forum for AFWA’s committee meetings which
helps direct federal and state agency policy.
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ASA and Future Fisherman Foundation Receive Multi-state Grants
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has awarded ASA a $70,000 grant
to update and reprint the economics of sportfishing guidebook, Sportfishing
in America, which details angler demographics, expenditures and participation.
The publication is used by state and federal legislators, including state governors
and fishery resource managers and planners, as a resource for information about
anglers and the economic contribution they make to local, state and the national
economies. The information in the guidebook will be distilled from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-associated Recreation. The guidebook will be available in
2007. The Future Fisherman Foundation was
awarded a $60,000 grant to continue the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs program
in partnership with state agencies and community-based youth organizations.
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RBFF Holiday Gift Guide—September 29 Deadline
RBFF 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.
Looking for a place to showcase your unique new products? RBFF is looking
for interesting fishing gifts for kids, men, women and the whole family
to include in its gift guide. If you have any new and exciting products
you think would make a great holiday gift, please e-mail a brief
description (with pricing) and a photo to Kristin
Larson at Barton Gilanelli & Associates. If you have a Web
site, please include a link to it in your e-mail. Be sure not to miss
out on this free opportunity! In order to be considered for inclusion
in the gift guide, RBFF needs to have all information by today, October
3. The original due date was September 29.
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FishAmerica Foundation Updates
To help FishAmerica keep our nation’s fish and waters healthy, contact
Director Johanna
Laderman, x245.
FLW Outdoors Auction Benefits Gulf Fund
During the Logan Martin Lake (Ala.) FLW Tour Championship, FLW Outdoors auctioned
off the winning pro angler jerseys from each of the seven 2006 FLW Tour events.
The auction raised $1,500 which was donated to the FishAmerica Gulf Fund to
help restore Gulf Coast sportfisheries and fishing access facilities devastated
during the 2005 hurricane season. The Fund provides grants to community-based
sportfishing and conservation organizations to help restore sportfish populations,
their habitats and fishing facilities.Since 2000, FLW Outdoors has donated
more than $260,000 to FishAmerica leveraging nearly $2 million for fisheries
enhancement projects in coordination with FLW’s tournaments.
FishAmerica Grants Support National Fish Habitat Action and Eastern
Brook Trout Habitat Restoration
FishAmerica, through its partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, has awarded $90,000 in grants to restore seven miles of Eastern
brook trout habitat in four states. Three local chapters of Trout
Unlimited and the Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen’s Association
of Maine will match the grants with more than $200,000 in cash and
in-kind donations. Seventy-five volunteers will donate 325 hours
of time to restore in-stream habitat and riparian buffer zones in:
the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine; the Susquehanna River basin
in Pennsylvania; and the Potomac River basin in Virginia and West Virginia.
FishAmerica Contributors
The Foundation thanks the following ASA members for their recent donations
to the FishAmerica Foundation: FLW Outdoors, Sport Fishing and Communications
Unlimited and Wingli Craftwork Factory. Fifty-five ASA members
and 60 other donors have given nearly $160,000 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
Executive Director Anne
Danielski, x254.
Future Fisherman Thanks Jesse Simpkins, Outgoing Board Chairman
After more than two years, Jesse Simpkins, director of Marketing, Plano
Molding, is stepping down as the Future Fisherman Foundation’s
Board Chairman. During his tenure, Simpkins worked closely with ASA
executive staff and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
to solidify funding for the Physh Ed (physical education)
grants program and encourage many ASA member manufacturers and retailers
to participate in the Tackle Box Equipment Service. The foundation
has benefited greatly from Simpkins’s leadership. While
Simpkins will maintain a Board seat, he will pass the gavel to Kerry
Campbell of the TTI–Blakemore Fishing Group.
New Physh Ed Timeline Announced
The 2006/2007 school year marks the fifth year for the Physh Ed grants
program. Applications for the 2007/2008 school year grants will
be available beginning October 13, 2006, with a due date of March 2,
2007. The mandatory training for all grant awardees will be in
held in July 2007. Physical education teachers in an accredited
K-12 public, private or charter school are encouraged to apply for
up to $5,000 in grant funds to teach fishing and boating in their schools.
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Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
The 2006 Sportfishing Summit will take place October 18–20,
in San Diego and the ASA staff and I are looking forward to being your
hosts. On 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. We have a great
agenda planned for this year’s meeting including: dynamic presentations
on pricing and profits and China’s emergence as a world economic
power; a member panel describing what doing business in a global economy
means to their companies; and a presentation on what CEOs and senior
management are thinking and planning in order to grow their companies
and compete in the global economy. 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. It’s
an ambitious agenda, but one that I believe will address some of the
most pressing issues facing our industry.
Certainly, one of the most pressing
issues for the sportfishing industry is establishment of no fishing
zones. On Thursday, during the Summit, a panel of West Coast outdoor
journalists will provide insights into California’s Marine Life Protection
Act and how this issue is being reported in the media as well as public perception
of the issue. In 1999, California became the first, and so far the only, state
to pass legislation requiring the establishment of marine protected areas, including
no fishing areas with the first designation under the Act approved this past
August. This action prohibits fishing in nearly 9 percent of state waters off
California’s Central Coast, covering 108 square miles along 72 miles of
shoreline. An additional 9 percent of state waters are subject to some limits
to fishing, often limiting catch to one or two species.
It is not a radical idea to consider special protection for certain
marine areas. However, to be effective, the type of protection
should be tailored to the need. If a population is at risk because
of pollution or because dams block spawning areas, no fishing areas
will not address the problem. Despite this well established fact, a
number of groups have made the creation of no fishing areas a centerpiece
of their ocean strategy, proposing that large areas of the ocean should
be off limits to all fishing. They claim, contrary to scientific evidence,
that conservation management measures "don't work." It is
clear that these proposals are finding an audience. This "can't
use it, not ever" concept would never fly if it were applied to
our public lands or even wilderness areas.
One of the main reasons we
conserve our natural resources is to ensure people can continue to
enjoy them through outdoor recreation. That’s
not a radical idea either, but you’d be surprised how often it’s
missing from recent ocean policy debates. While we may perceive ocean
conservation issues from different angles, all our interests clearly
converge when it comes to healthy fisheries and habitat. However, our
progress in pushing for our broader goals is getting sidetracked because
of the debate on no fishing zones. And that debate is getting louder
and more challenging as time goes by.
Current ocean policy proposals advocate more consideration for the
interactions among species and their habitats in making resource management
decisions. Yet many of these proposals fall short on another fundamental
element of ecosystem management—that people who are directly
affected by public policies need to be engaged in the decision-making
process for those policies to be effective. This message is getting
lost in the “one size fits all” proposal of no fishing
zones. In the long run, the question of how do we best ensure healthy
and sustainable fisheries must be answered, but not at the expense
of people’s livelihoods and leisure.
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