August 2010 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 website.
Register Now for the 2010 Sportfishing Summit
Sportfishing Summit Agenda
ASA Committee and Board of Directors Meetings
Norville Prosser and Future of Fishing Award Nominations
2010 Sportfishing Summit Sponsorship Opportunities
Thank You Summit Sponsors
ASA Extends its Sympathies to the Stevens Family
EPA Petitioned to Ban Use of Lead Fishing Tackle
Oil Spill Claims Process Transferred from BP to Gulf Coast Claims Facility
Mark Your Calendar for ICAST 2011 and 2012
Exhibiting at ICAST 2011
Visit the ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide
Discounts for ASA Members at East Coast Consumer Shows
Welcome New Members!
FishAmerica Foundation Update
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Register Now for the 2010 Sportfishing Summit
The American Sportfishing Association’s 2010 Sportfishing Summit , the sportfishing industry’s premier networking and business management event, is scheduled for October 26 – 28, at the Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Summit registration packets were mailed the week of August 16 to ASA members; however, all Summit materials are available on ASA’s website including an agenda , registration form , online housing reservations and information on sponsorship opportunities and recreation opportunities . The deadline for pre-registration and group housing rates is October 1, 2010. Discounted rooms at the Westin Beach Resort are filling quickly. Please make your reservations now. For more information, contact Mary Jane Williamson , x227.
Sportfishing Summit Agenda
This year’s Summit will focus on participation and advocacy, the domestic and international economic markets and the social technology that is impacting everyone’s business. Please go to the Summit page on ASA’s website for more details about the agenda.
ASA Committee and Board of Directors Meetings
During the 2010 Sportfishing Summit, the ASA Board of Directors will meet on Monday, October 25, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. They will also meet on Thursday, October 28, from 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. The association's committees will meet on Tuesday, October 26. The Government Affairs committee (includes Trade and Commerce, Saltwater and Freshwater subcommittees) will meet from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Membership, Communications, and Finance committees will meet from 9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. The Show, Data and Statistics, Consumer Shows and the FishAmerica Foundation committees will meet from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The General Membership Meeting will take place on Thursday, October 28, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. If you have questions about the board of directors or committee meetings, please contact Joyce Anderson-Logan , x233.
Norville Prosser and Future of Fishing Award Nominations
The American Sportfishing Association has two awards - the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award and the Future of Fishing Award - to recognize significant contributions to sportfishing. Nomination forms are available on ASA’s Web site . Nominations are due by October 1, to Policy Fellow Alyssa Hausman , x244.
2010 Sportfishing Summit Sponsorship Opportunities
Build name recognition and make a statement to the leaders in the sportfishing industry by sponsoring an event at the American Sportfishing Association’s annual gathering of members and partners – The Sportfishing Summit. Let us help you figure out a sponsorship that meets your needs and your budget. If you are interested in being a sponsor for this year’s Summit, please contact Membership Director Jill Calabria , x234.
Thank You Summit Sponsors
The American Sportfishing Association would like to thank those who have signed on as Sportfishing Summit Sponsors : Gold – Frabill, Inc. , NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey ; Silver – U.S. Forest Service ; and Bronze – Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Maui Jim . For information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jill Calabria , x234.
ASA Extends its Sympathies to the Stevens Family
The American Sportfishing Association extends its condolences to the family of Senator Ted Stevens and to the families of those who were killed or injured in the recent plane crash that took the lives of Senator Stevens and four others near Dillingham, Alaska. Senator Stevens personified government leadership. Through six decades of public service, Senator Stevens displayed remarkable leadership and an unabashed pride in the state he represented. Senator Stevens loved the outdoors and loved to fish and he brought that passion to his long career in the U.S. Congress.
EPA Petitioned to Ban Use of Lead Fishing Tackle
On August 23, the Center for Biological Diversity and four other organizations petitioned the EPA to ban lead shot, bullets and all lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The petitioning groups cite the deaths of waterbirds from lead ingestion as their main reason for submitting the document. On August 27, the EPA denied the section of the petition regarding ammunition, but is still considering the proposed ban on lead fishing gear. On September 8, ASA sent its comments and request that EPA deny the petition for fishing tackle. The EPA has opened the petition for public comments; the deadline for these is September 15, 2010. ASA members may comment to the EPA on this petition here .
Oil Spill Claims Process Transferred from BP to Gulf Coast Claims Facility
On August 23, oversight of the claims process for businesses affected by the Gulf oil spill was fully transferred from BP to the independent Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), which is in charge of distributing the $20 billion BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund under administrator Kenneth Feinberg.The GCCF was established in June through an agreement between the Obama Administration and BP officials.All personal and business claims and supporting documentation that were previously filed with the BP Claims Process have been transferred to the GCCF. Claimants must file new forms to the GCCF to receive Emergency Advance Payments or a Final Payment for damages or losses.
Mark Your Calendar for ICAST 2011 and 2012
ICAST will return to Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2011 and will be in Orlando in 2012. We look forward to seeing you there!
ICAST 2011 – July 13 - 15, 2011, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
ICAST 2012 – July 11 - 13, 2012, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
Exhibiting at ICAST 2011
Now is the time to reserve your space at ICAST 2011, being held July 13-15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Booths will be assigned in late September. Contracts and booth assignments will not be processed until a deposit is received. The ICAST 2011 exhibit space contract and floor plan are available on ICASTfishing.org . For more information, contact Kenneth Andres , x231.
Visit the ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide
Visit the ICAST Online Buyers' Guide for who's who in the sportfishing industry and what each industry member offers.
Discounts for ASA Members at East Coast Consumer Shows
Current ASA members in good standing who participate in all four of the ASA/ Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Expos will receive a 15 percent discount on standard priced booth space. Exhibitors who participate in three shows will receive a 10 percent discount off standard booth rates. No discount applies to space booked for the World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition in Suffern, N.Y. To sign up for exhibit space, contact the ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Expo staff at 603-431-4315 or e-mail info@sportshows.com for more information. Go to www.sportshows.com for show dates and other information.
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in August: KDS Company, Longview, WA; Shu-Fly Fishing Lure, Nanuet, NY and Shore Land Outdoors, Willington, CT.
FishAmerica Foundation Update
To help FishAmerica keep our nation’s fish and waters healthy, visit FishAmerica online at www.fishamerica.org or contact Executive Director Johanna Laderman, x245 or Grants Manager Erica George, x247.
Three Recently Completed FishAmerica Projects
FishAmerica is pleased to announce that several projects have been recently completed thereby improving habitat and water quality for several species of sportfish.
- The Cottonwood Creek Watershed Group recently completed the Crowley Gulch Waterway Improvement Project, restoring four acres of riparian buffer along Cottonwood Creek in the Sacramento River watershed of northern California.
- The Nature Conservancy recently completed the Conasauga River Watershed Restoration and Protection Project – Dill Creek Site, opening eight miles of unrestricted fish passage along Dill Creek in the Conasauga River watershed located in northwest Georgia.
- The Galveston Bay Foundation recently completed the Sweetwater Nature Preserve Shoreline Protection and Marsh Restoration Project, restoring and protecting 15 acres of saltmarsh along the Sweetwater Nature Preserve shoreline in the Galveston Bay, Texas.
Federal Employees: Pledge Your Contribution to FishAmerica (CFC #12295)
Keep our fish and waters healthy – FishAmerica is listed in 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), #12295. Since 2007, federal employees have given more than $55,000 to keep our fish and waters healthy. Help support our mission and make your pledge today.
FishAmerica Gulf Fund For Fisheries and Habitat Restoration
FishAmerica is continuing to raise funds for its recently expanded Gulf Fund to include fisheries and their habitats that are being impacted by the continuing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Established in 2005, the FishAmerica Gulf Fund will be used to support the expansion of existing healthy fisheries habitat and the creation of new fisheries habitat in areas not directly affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. These areas will provide the much needed refuge, spawning and rearing habitat to ensure the survival of sportfish in the Gulf. Make a donation now at www.fishamerica.org/gulfund.
Thank you for 2010 ASA Member Donations
FishAmerica thanks the following ASA members for their 2010 donations to the foundation: AA Worms/Optimum Baits; Adventure Advertising, LLC; BASS Federation Nation; Bayou Outdoors, Inc.; Calderone & Associates; Carrera-Werner Sales Company; Citti Sales; Corporate Products, LLC (CORPRO); Costa; Daiwa Corporation; Ed Cumings, Inc.; Ferguson-Keller Associates, Inc.; Frank & Fran's Fisherman's Friend, Inc.; Koppers Fishing and Tackle Corporation; Lamiglas, Inc.; Port "A" Outfitters; Pro Line Manufacturing; Proactive Sales & Marketing NE, LLC; Real Sports; Red Drum Tackle Shop, Inc.; The Kids Fishing Shop; Wright & McGill Co.; Yakima Bait Company; and ZipVac by CTI Industries.
Follow FishAmerica on Twitter and Become a Fan of FishAmerica on Facebook
Get the latest updates on FishAmerica and find out about available funds to help keep our fish and waters healthy. FishAmerica on Twitter (twitter.com/fishamerica) and FishAmerica on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fishamerica).
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
From October 26 - 28, ASA’s members and guests will meet in Florida for the 2010 Sportfishing Summit, the association’s annual business meeting. The ASA staff and I are looking forward to being your hosts. Over the years, our members have consistently told us that the two key things that the Summit offers them are opportunities for networking and a forum for information that they won’t hear anywhere else regarding issues affecting their business. To this end, we’ve developed an agenda that provides both ample time for members to meet and discuss business issues and a comprehensive program that touches on the most pertinent topics facing the sportfishing industry. During 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.
This year’s Summit will focus on participation and advocacy, the domestic and international economic markets and the social technology that is impacting everyone’s business. We have invited the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to be our keynote speaker. We expect the Secretary to address participation and access issues and the new America’s Great Outdoors initiative’s impact on angling, boating, access and the development of future conservationists to protect and strengthen the American traditions of angling and boating.
Our guest lunch speaker on Tuesday, October 26, is Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator for Fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service. Eric will provide an update on federal saltwater fisheries issues including the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper and NOAA’s efforts to address the industry’s concerns.
Wednesday, October 27, the morning’s focus is on participation and advocacy, two key factors in helping to keep our nation’s waters and fisheries clean, abundant and open to recreational fishing. In July at ICAST, ASA launched KeepAmericaFishing™ as the voice of the American angler. A number of exciting efforts are taking place around this advocacy campaign as well as what’s happening to increase angler participation. You don’t want to miss this.
The explosion of social technology had added an even more challenging dimension to our already complicated business world. How do you reach your customer base through harnessing the power of new and widely used social networking technologies? On Wednesday afternoon, we have a panel of industry and non-industry practitioners to address this often confusing topic.
Our afternoon keynote speaker is Peter Morici, Ph.D., economist, author and professor at The Robert H. Smith School of Business, the University of Maryland. Dr. Morici is an expert on the global economy, state of the U.S. economy, economic policy and has a peerless track record as an economic forecaster. He is a provocative speaker who engages with his audiences. I’m looking forward to his remarks. We have an ambitious agenda, but it’s one that I believe will address some of the most pressing issues facing our industry. Once again, the ASA staff and I are looking forward to being your hosts at the Westin Beach Resort. Whether it’s during one of the general sessions or in the hospitality suite, I guarantee you will hear information that is of value to your business and your bottom line.
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