A periodic information source for members of the American Sportfishing Association and partners on issues of importance to the future of fishing.
December 18, 2003
ASA Takes Part in White House Gathering
ASA President Mike Nussman and ASA members Jim Range of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Dean Kessell with ESPN were among 20 leaders invited to meet with President Bush in the Oval Office for a Wildlife Conservation Leaders Briefing on December 12. President Bush explained new and proposed policies related to forest health, wetlands conservation, energy development on public lands, and other issues affecting outdoor recreation. During more informal conversation with the group, President Bush said fishing was his favorite activity after jogging, noted the remarkable recovery of redfish in the Gulf, and said we need better management of commercial fisheries so recreational fisheries can prosper.
Harris Poll Shows Fishing Keeps the Lead
The results of the annual Harris poll on Americans' work and leisure activities, announced in early December, show fishing remained the most popular outdoor leisure activity, ranking 4th overall. Reading, spending time with family or kids, and watching television were the top three, as in previous years, but spending time with family and socializing with friends and neighbors reached their highest points this year. For more information, visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Gaining Perspective
ASA extends its gratitude to members who've recently hosted us for
visits to gain a better understanding of concerns and issues affecting
the sportfishing industry as a whole. Special thanks to Big Rock Sports,
Yamaha, Cabela's, Bullet Weights, and Penn Fishing Tackle for sharing
your thoughts, time, and hospitality. We also visited Swanson Russell
Associates, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based PR firm with a solid track record
of support for the shooting sports industry, to explore PR projects
for the sportfishing industry. For more information, contact Membership
Director Ric Ice, 703.519.9691 x234; or Communications
Director Janet Tennyson,
703.519.9691 x227.
Stats to Help You Stay In-the-Know
ASA is working with the National Sporting Goods Association on a new
research effort asking for retailers' input for a comparative financial
performance survey of fishing tackle retailers. This "Cost of Doing
Business" study is designed to serve as an easy-to-understand tool for
companies to evaluate their operating results and compare figures with
others in the same sales volume category (responses are completely anonymous
and financial performance indicators are aggregated to ensure privacy).
The fishing results, just one part of NSGA's larger study, will be available
from ASA once NSGA completes its final report next year. For copies
of the survey or for more information, contact Special Projects Director Forbes Darby, 703.519.9691
x222.
The More the Merrier
Please join us in welcoming new ASA members for November: Aquapac International, Brush Creek Flies, Fins & Feathers Outdoors, Gisland Sports Products, Great Longview Industrial, Legend Laboratories, Outdoor Pro Shops, The Professional Hooker, Roberts Outdoors, Secret Weapon Lures, and Sure-Life Laboratories.
Advocacy Pays Off for Fisheries
Along with conservation and outdoor recreation partners, we successfully advocated for increases in funding for key programs under the Interior Department Appropriations bill recently signed by the President. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received an increase of more than $2 million for their fish passage program and more than $4 million for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, providing support for grassroots conservation and our FishAmerica Foundation. The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity leading up to Congress' recess for the holidays. We've tracked and stayed in the mix on a host of other legislative actions, including Wallop-Breaux reauthorization, new legislation to recover significant Wallop-Breaux investments, national energy bill provisions related to hydropower relicensing and fish passage in rivers and reservoirs, and a Senate version of the Freedom to Fish Act. For more information, contact Vice President Gordon Robertson, 703.519.9691 x237.
Research Promotes Fishing's Economic Values
We recently received the results of an economic value survey of New Hampshire's 1,000 lakes and nearly 10,000 miles of rivers funded in part by a grant from the FishAmerica Foundation and the Porthouse Foundation. Conducted by the New Hampshire Lakes Association, this research indicates the recreational use of the state's surface waters generates $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion annually. FishAmerica's Research Committee is currently reviewing several proposed research projects ranging from economic studies like the New Hampshire survey to fish tagging and habitat surveys. For a copy of the executive summary or the full survey results, or to find out more about FishAmerica-funded research projects, please contact FishAmerica Foundation Managing Director Johanna Laderman at 703.519.9691 x245.
Briefly Noted
Highlights of the Sportfishing Summit are posted, under Shows and Events ... You can also view Bob Delfay's ICAST survey results ... Watch your mail next month for our membership survey and let us know how to serve you better ... Save these dates if you plan to participate in ASA's National Fishing and Boating Week activities in Washington: June 7-9, 2004 ... A reminder: ASA membership payments were due December 15.
President's Corner
This week one of fishing's best friends, Senator John Breaux of Louisiana, announced he will retire next year after serving for more than 30 years in the U.S. Congress. Senator Breaux is not only a remarkable conservationist, he also added a strong dose of common sense and integrity to causes ranging from fair trade to welfare reform. As long as I've been with ASA, we've worked closely with the Senator and his staff. They fundamentally understand the values of fishing and the industry's role in protecting them. Senator Breaux has been a champion for the sportfishing industry and fishing itself on countless occasions.
I remember an experience I had with Mr. Breaux a few years ago, when ASA was pushing for changes to the Wallop-Breaux law to dedicate some of the money to promotional efforts to boost fishing participation (what later led to the establishment of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Water Works Wonders Campaign). I was wondering whether Mr. Breaux would support the idea because many others were debating whether more anglers would mean better conservation over the long haul.
I happened to have a chance for a one-on-one with him because I was picking him up to take him to a National Fishing and Boating Week breakfast. He showed me the Washington Post's metro section, covering the fishing week kickoff and showing scores of kids learning to fish for the first time. He said if that's the kind of thing we're talking about with new outreach, he thought it was a terrific use of Wallop-Breaux dollars and he'd help us get there. And he did.
That's the kind of understanding and support many of us in the conservation and recreation community are going to miss. It makes me think even more about the dialogue taking place among ASA's Board of Directors and other industry leaders about adding more horsepower to our advocacy. Many are suggesting ASA ramp up its role in bringing members together to speak with a unified voice, ultimately to gain better understanding from policymakers who make decisions that affect the industry. With most policymakers, cultivating an understanding is half the battle, and it takes a lot of time. What's special about Senator Breaux is he understood us all along.
