NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION – FALL 2010
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.
EPA Rejects Petition to Ban Lead Fishing Tackle
2010 Sportfishing Summit – the Industry’s Business Meeting
ASA Launches the New Voice of the American Angler
Administration Demonstrates Support for the Sportfishing Industry
ASA Board Elects 2011 – 2012 Officers
ASA Recognizes Lifetime Achievement
Thank You Summit Sponsors
Mark Your Calendars for the 2011 Sportfishing Summit
ICAST 2011, 2012 and 2013
Exhibiting at ICAST 2011
Visit the Online ICAST Buyers’ Guide
ICAST 2010 Highlights Now Online
Welcome New Members!
2011 FedEx and UPS Rate Increases
Book Your Space for the ASA Eastern Shows
FishAmerica Foundation Update
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
EPA Rejects Petition to Ban Lead Fishing Tackle
The sportfishing community commends the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for its decision to reject a sweeping petition to ban lead in all fishing tackle. The petition, which was submitted on August 3, 2010, by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other groups, requested that EPA ban all lead in all fishing tackle on all U.S. waters under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The petition also included a request to ban the use of lead ammunition hunting and shooting sports. That part was denied on August 27 because EPA does not have the legal authority to regulate ammunition under TSCA. Opposition from anglers was strong; more than 43,000 anglers sent comments requesting dismissal of the petition to EPA Administrator Jackson through www.KeepAmericaFishing.org. Many organizations partnered with KeepAmericaFishing™ to help ensure the lead ban petition was rejected. Two national organizations - the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies - played key roles in ensuring the EPA understood the importance of denying the petition.
2010 Sportfishing Summit – the Industry’s Business Meeting
Sportfishing industry leaders representing more than 100 companies and organizations throughout the United States and Canada met October 26 – 28, at the Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the American Sportfishing Association’s 2010 Sportfishing Summit, the sportfishing industry’s premier networking and business management event. This year’s Summit focused on the domestic and international trade markets, fisheries resource management, advocacy and the political forces impacting the industry. According to the attendee surveys, the Summit – which had the highest member and company attendance since 2004 - received high marks for being both effective and useful as a business forum. During the three day meeting, ASA’s members unanimously supported ASA’s efforts to engage individual anglers in advocating for recreational fishing’s future through KeepAmericaFishing™. KeepAmericaFishing, established in 2006 as an information resource for California’s Marine Life Protection Act initiative, has grown and expanded over the past four years to become “the voice of the American angler.”
ASA Launches the New Voice of the American Angler
In October, prior to the Sportfishing Summit, ASA launched a revamped www.KeepAmericaFishing.org. The new website is easier to navigate and includes: national and region-specific information about issues affecting recreational fishing; the KAF Anglers’ Bill of Rights; the Ethical Angler Pledge; how to sign-up for alerts and other information; and how to take action and make a contribution. The site also recognizes ASA members who have provided significant support for KeepAmericaFishing. Please take a few moments and visit the new “voice of the American Angler” at www.KeepAmericaFishing.org.
Administration Demonstrates Support for the Sportfishing Industry
The administration showed its support of recreational fishing during the Sportfishing Summit with a keynote address by Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland who discussed recreational fishing participation, access issues and the new America's Great Outdoors initiative. Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator for Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service, provided an update on NOAA Fisheries’ efforts to address the industry’s concerns regarding marine fisheries management.
ASA Board Elects 2011 – 2012 Officers
During the Summit, ASA’s board of directors elected officers for two-year terms beginning October 1, 2011. The board officers are: Chairman - Jeff Marble, CEO, Frabill, Inc.; Vice Chairman – Gregg Wollner, Executive Vice President, Rapala; Secretary – Dave Bulthuis, Vice President, Sales, Costa; Treasurer – Peter Foley, President, Boone Bait Company; and Immediate Past Chairman – Jeff Pontius, President, ZEBCO Brands.
ASA Recognizes Lifetime Achievement
During the Summit, ASA presented two awards: a special award to former ASA Board of Directors Chairman Burt Steinberg (formerly of American Rod and Gun), and the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize significant contributions to sportfishing. The association’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Robert Hayes, general counsel for ASA and the Coastal Conservation Association, for his extraordinary leadership throughout his career in promoting the values of sportfishing and advancing cooperative approaches to conservation and recreation. This past July, ASA’s board of directors passed a special resolution recognizing Burt Steinberg’s leadership of the association and the sportfishing industry by awarding him Member Emeritus status.
Thank You Summit Sponsors
The American Sportfishing Association would like to thank the 2010 Sportfishing Summit Sponsors: Gold – Frabill, Inc., NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, Take Me Fishing™, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey; Silver – Bass Pro Shops, the International Game Fish Association, and the U.S. Forest Service; and Bronze – the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Maui Jim Sunglasses for helping to make this year’s membership meeting a success.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2011 Sportfishing Summit
ASA invites its members and partners to the 2011 Sportfishing Summit scheduled for October 12 – 14, at the Loews New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La. More information on the program for the 2011 Summit will be available in mid-2011. For more information, contact Mary Jane Williamson, (703) 519-9691 x227 or Joe George, (703) 519-9691 x222.
ICAST 2011, 2012 and 2013
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, NV
ICAST 2012 – July 11 - 13, 2012, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
ICAST 2013 – July 10 - 12, 2013, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Exhibiting at ICAST 2011
Now is the time to reserve your booth space for ICAST 2011, being held July 13–15, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The ICAST 2011 exhibit space contract and floor plan are available on ICASTfishing.org. Contracts and booth assignments will not be processed until a deposit is received. For more information, contact Kenneth Andres, (703) 519-9691 x231.
Visit the 2010 Online ICAST Buyers’ Guide
The ICAST 2010 Buyers’ Guide is available online. Visit the ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide for “who’s who” in the sportfishing industry and what each industry member offers. For more information, contact Kenneth Andres, (703) 519-9691 x231.
ICAST 2010 Highlights Now Online
Highlights from ICAST 2010 are now available on the ICAST website. In 2010, 7,000 people representing 63 countries attended ICAST 2010, which spanned 400,000 square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. More than 2,000 buyers and 525 members of the media also attended the show. View the highlights at www.ICASTfishing.org to recapture ICAST 2010.
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members of members who reinstated their membership in September and October: Big Al's Tackle Company, Inc., Longbranch, WA; Chums, Salt Lake, UT; Craig Rod Holders, Herminie, PA; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL; Full Circle Public Relations, Greenville, SC; Gear-Lab Co. Ltd., Fukuoka, Japan; Hides, LLC, Stuart, FL; Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Miami, FL; Larva Pty. Ltd., Molendar, QLD, Australia; Mr. B's Strikebobber, Hot Springs, SD; Shandong Oriental Haifeng Trading Co., Ltd., Quingdao, Shangdong, People's Republic of China; Shanghai Sanxin Fishing Tackle Co., Ltd., Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Silver Bait, LLC, Coalmont, TN; Springfield Marine, Nixa, MO; and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX.
2011 FedEx and UPS Rate Increases
PartnerShip, which manages ASA’s Discount Shipping Program, announced that effective January 3, 2011, the cost to ship an overnight envelope with FedEx will increase by a net average of 3.9 percent. Also effective January 3, 2011, the cost to ship with UPS ground and express services will increase by a net average of 4.9 percent. In addition, FedEx and UPS will implement a change to the dimensional weight volumetric divisor, from 194 to 166 for U.S. domestic air and ground services. The DIM factor has also changed from 166 to 139 for international shipments. The lower DIM factors may have a substantial impact in the form of higher shipping rates for companies whose packages are subject to dimensional weighting, such as retailers and companies that ship lower density packages. For more information regarding these rate increases, contact PartnerShip Program Manager Harry Centa at hcenta@PartnerShip.com or (800) 599-2902 x2242.
Book Your Space for the ASA Eastern Shows
The ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition consumer shows are gearing up for the 2011 show season. Now is the time to reserve space for the Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Worcester, Mass., Feb. 10-13, 2011; Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow, Oaks, Pa., Feb. 17-20, 2011; World Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Suffern, N.Y., Mar. 3-6, 2011; and The Saltwater Fishing Expo, Somerset, N.J., Mar. 18-20, 2011. Current ASA members who participate in all four of ASA/ Eastern Fishing & Outdoor exposition shows will receive a 15 percent discount on standard priced booth space. 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.
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.
FishAmerica Invests $1,000,000 in Fisheries Habitat Restoration
The FishAmerica Foundation through its partnership with the NOAA Restoration Center awarded nearly $1 million to eighteen projects to improve fish passage, restore habitat and improve water quality in nine states along the coast though our partnership with the. The local grant recipients and their partners, who are investing $230,000, will provide more than $9 million in leveraged funds through donations, in-kind services and nearly than 11,000 hours of volunteer labor. Since 1998, FishAmerica and NOAA have funded more than 270 projects, turning more than $5.9 million in funding into more than $14 million in vital fisheries habitat in 25 states.
Funding Available for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fisheries Habitat Restoration
The FishAmerica Foundation, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the NOAA Restoration Center is seeking proposals for meaningful on-the-ground restoration projects to restore and enhance fish habitat for sportfishing resources and improve and protect water quality for NOAA headwaters species of focus in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Proposals requesting up to $75,000 are due no later 5:00 p.m. on December 10, 2010. Since 2002, FishAmerica and the Trust have awarded more than $375,000 to 17 fisheries conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to Maryland-based organizations. For more information, go to www.fishamerica.org/grants.
Two Recently Completed FishAmerica Projects
FishAmerica is pleased to announce that two projects have recently been completed in Oregon and Michigan. In Oregon, the Freshwater Trust completed the Salmon River Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project improving habitat for Coho salmon, spring Chinook salmon, and winter steelhead trout. In Michigan, the Otsego County Road Commission completed the Woodin Bridge Road Fish Passage Project, opening more than three miles of spawning and rearing upstream habitat and reconnecting more than eight miles of downstream habitat for brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout.
Federal Employees: Pledge Your Contribution to FishAmerica (CFC #12295)
Keep our fish and waters healthy – FishAmerica is listed in the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) - #12295. Since 2007, federal employees have given more than $55,000 to support our mission. Make your pledge before December 15, and help keep our fish and waters healthy.
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
Last month, the American Sportfishing Association hosted more than 100 companies and organizations from the United States, Canada and Europe in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the our annual business meeting, the Sportfishing Summit. As a staff, we do our best to provide a good venue and line up relevant sessions and speakers and handle all the Summit logistics to make things run as smoothly as possible. However, everyone who came contributed to the event’s success, and I want to thank everyone for participating. I also want to thank ASA’s Board of Directors, committee chairmen and committee members for the considerable time and effort they put into ensuring that ASA’s programs are addressing the concerns of the sportfishing industry.
Maintaining and enhancing access to fishing and abundant and healthy resources have always been a priority for our industry. However, there is a pervasive perception in this country that our nation’s fisheries - fresh and saltwater - are in dire straits. And too often, when a problem is identified, the solution is to prohibit anglers’ access to those public resources. We’re seeing that now in the South Atlantic with a proposed sweeping ban on bottom fishing to solve overfishing for red snapper.
The 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act reauthorization was aimed at improving marine fisheries conservation by driving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) to more effective marine fisheries management and stock rebuilding. Since then it’s become apparent that NOAA Fisheries was not prepared for a law that mandates all our marine resources be managed to end overfishing by 2010 and 2011. There are gaping holes in fisheries data and science, which are highlighted in the South Atlantic red snapper fishery. Management failures in this important sportfish may ultimately result in a closure of all bottom fishing in a 5,000-square-mile area. Similarly, sweeping and faulty decisions are imminent with other fisheries such as gag grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. The total bottom fishing closure tied to South Atlantic red snapper is the first in what will likely be a series of fisheries train wrecks unless Congress takes action.
To address this issue, support is growing for legislation to address the crisis in federal marine fisheries management through the Fishery Conservation Transition Act (FCTA) which was introduced in both the House and Senate. This legislation has the backing of a broad coalition of recreational angling, boating and industry groups who see a critical need to give federal marine fisheries managers the time, resources and direction necessary to address chronic deficiencies in marine fisheries management. The lack of credible, scientific data on which to base marine fisheries management decisions has plagued federal fisheries management for decades. Show your support for this important legislation that will address the crisis in federal marine fisheries management by going to the Action Center on our new angler advocacy site, KeepAmericaFishing.org.
As a testament to the power of this industry/angler effort, in November, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected a sweeping petition to ban lead in all fishing tackle. The petition requested that the EPA ban all lead in all fishing tackle on all U.S. waters. Opposition from anglers was strong. In fact, more than 43,000 anglers sent comments to the EPA and their Members of Congress requesting dismissal of the petition through www.KeepAmericaFishing.org which shows just how strong our voice can be.
Since next week is Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of you - our members - for your unwavering support of the American Sportfishing Association. From ICAST to the Sportfishing Summit to your support in our fight to maintain access to fishing, it’s you who have helped ASA maintain its unified voice for the sportfishing industry. I’m very proud of this industry and
everything our members do to ensure that one of our nation’s most cherished and revered pastimes remains open for everyone’s enjoyment.
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