March 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 about our Government Affairs activities called Policy Watch. These documents can be found in the Government Affairs section of ASA’s Web site.
Condolences to the L. Glenn Simms Family
ASA Board of Directors Elections
Renew Your Commitment to Sportfishing’s Future
ICAST 2010 – Reserve Your Booth Space Today
ICAST Registration and Housing Reservations Open
Experient, Inc. is the Official Housing Partner of ICAST 2010
Exhibitor Promo Pak Available Online
Exhibitor Service Manual Available Online
Visit the Online ICAST Buyers’ Guide
Post Your ICAST Press Release on ICASTfishing.org
Thank You ICAST 2010 Sponsors
ICAST Sponsorships Available
Tell Us About ICAST!
Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council Appointments
ASA Partners with POMA on Sportfishing Communicator Award
Jim Range National Casting Call
ASA Staff Attends 75th North American Conference
2011 East and West Coast Consumer Shows’ Schedule
Welcome New Members!
Take an Active Role in New Member Recruitment
Become a Facebook Fan!
FishAmerica Foundation Update
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Condolences to the L. Glenn Simms Family
On behalf of the Board of Directors, ASA members and staff, we extend our sincere condolences to the Simms family on the passing of L. Glenn Simms, a life-long member of the sportfishing industry. Simms began working with Plano Molding Company in 1953 and spent more than three decades with the company, serving as its first national sales director and then as Vice President of Sales. Mr. Simms also held a seat on Plano Molding Company’s board of directors until 2001. He was fond of telling the story about how Jim Henning, the son of Plano’s founder, on Mr. Simms’ hiring, cautioned him that although he could go ahead and work on the fledgling plastic fishing tackle box line, he was ready to sell the tools to the first comer who was willing to pay $10,000 for them. Fishing tackle boxes are now one of Plano’s top-selling items. For more information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com Turner-Eighner Funeral Home, 3952 Turner Ave. Plano, IL 60545, or call (630) 552-3022.
ASA Board of Directors Elections
Ballots for ASA’s Board of Directors elections will be mailed on Friday, April 30, 2010, to members who are in good standing with their 2010 membership dues. Members will elect six representatives to ASA's Board of Directors, with terms beginning in October 2010. Elections are open for three regional and three at-large seats. Regional seats cover the Great Lakes, Northeast and Northern Plains regions. Ballots are due on or before June 1, 2010. According to ASA’s bylaws, only members with Regular membership status may vote. Associate members are not eligible to do so. For more information about the ballots, contact Board Liaison Joyce Anderson-Logan, x233. For questions about membership status, contact Membership Director Jill Calabria, x241.
Renew Your Commitment to Sportfishing’s Future
ASA mailed its annual membership dues renewal invoices in mid-November 2009. ASA thanks those who have renewed their membership for 2010. If you have not received your company renewal or you have questions about dues or member status, contact Membership Director Jill Calabria, x234.
ICAST 2010 – Reserve Your Booth Space Today
From July 14 – 16, 2010, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), will return to Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center. “Get in on the action” by reserving your exhibit space today and ensure that your business is front and center at the world’s premier sportfishing trade show. Nearly 90 percent of the available exhibit space is sold, so reserve your space today. The ICAST 2010 exhibit space contract, floor plan and the Top Five Reasons to Exhibit are available on ICASTfishing.org. For more information, contact Kenneth Andres, x231.
ICAST Registration and Housing Reservations Open
Registration and housing reservations for ICAST exhibitors and attendees are open. Take advantage of discounted pre-registration rates before June 10. When registering for badges, you may also make your hotel reservations at the official ICAST hotels including the Las Vegas Hilton, our ICAST headquarters hotel. At just $89 a night, the Las Vegas Hilton offers complete business services and is the closest hotel to the convention center. Other official ICAST hotels include Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center, Embassy Suites Convention Center, Las Vegas Marriott Suites, Marriott Renaissance Las Vegas, Residence Inn Convention Center and Springhill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information visit the ICAST Web site or contact Experient, Inc. (301) 694-5243 or e-mail ASA-ICAST@experient-inc.com.
Experient, Inc. is the Official Housing Partner of ICAST 2010
It's been brought to our attention that ICAST exhibitors and ICAST attendees are being contacted by businesses that are misrepresenting themselves as agents for ICAST 2010 offering discounted rates at various Las Vegas hotels. Experient, Inc. is the only company authorized by the American Sportfishing Association and the ICAST team to make hotel reservations for ICAST 2010. ASA has negotiated with a wide selection of hotels in Las Vegas to obtain the best price possible at the hotels nearest to the convention center. Booking with businesses unaffiliated with ICAST makes it impossible for the ICAST team to assist you should there be a problem with your reservations.
Exhibitor Promo Pak Available Online
One of the best resources ASA provides for its exhibitors is the Exhibitor Promo Pak, which contains many items to help exhibitors promote their booths and attract buyers to ICAST. The Promo Pak is available exclusively online for exhibitors this year. To access the Promo Pak, exhibitors should visit the 2010 Exhibitors Only section of www.ICASTfishing.org. If you haven’t received your exhibitor login information, contact Kenneth Andres, x231.
Exhibitor Service Manual Available Online
The Exhibitor Service Manual is the ultimate guide to exhibiting at ICAST. It contains all the details needed to ensure that you have a successful experience at the show. Shipping and set up information are included, as well as forms for ordering furnishings, carpet, electrical services and other necessities. Please note that the Exhibitor Service Manual is only available online in the “2010 Exhibitors Only” section of ICASTfishing.org, and will not be available in print. In order to place your product and service order through ICAST partners listed in the Exhibitor Service Manual, you must be a confirmed exhibitor in good standing. That means that your ICAST booth fees and ASA membership dues must be paid. To pay your ASA membership dues, please contact Jill Calabria, x234.
Visit the Online ICAST Buyers’ Guide
The online ICAST Buyers’ Guide is an easy-to-use version of the printedICAST Buyers’ Guidewhich is distributed during the world’slargest sportfishing trade show. Visit the online ICAST Buyers’ Guide for this “who’s who” in the sportfishing industry and see what each ASA members offer in products and services.
Post Your ICAST Press Release on ICASTfishing.org
As an added benefit of exhibiting at ICAST, ASA will post links to ICAST exhibitor press releases in the online Press Room to assist exhibitors in promoting their presence at the show. This online Web page is a resource for both media and show attendees. Please add this opportunity to your ICAST marketing plan. Please send either a link to your press release or e-mail a Word or PDF version for posting on www.ICASTfishing.org, to Kenneth Andres, x231, and ASA Communications Associate, Ryan Colaianni, x222. Content is subject to ASA verification and approval.
Thank You ICAST 2010 Sponsors
ASA would like to thank its generous members who have already signed on as ICAST sponsors. Our ICAST 2010 sponsors are: Gold - Crocodile Bay, ESPN Outdoor/BASS, Plano Molding Company, Take Me Fishing and ZEBCO Brands; Silver –In-Fisherman, Gemini Sport Marketing, Northwest Sportsmanand Sebile USA; and Bronze - Classic Fishing Products, Inc., FishGillz Sunglass Co., Gill North America, Girls Fish Too, Southwick Associates and Tuscaroran Pro-Lures. This list is current as of April 1. Thank you for your support!
ICAST Sponsorships Available
An ICAST sponsorship is an effective way to highlight your company’s name in front of more than 7,000 professional members of the global sportfishing community. By becoming an ICAST sponsor, your company will benefit from stand-alone recognition for your company and/or products and also help increase sales by leveraging your presence at ICAST. For more information on sponsorships, please review the Sponsorship Brochure on ICASTfishing.org or contact ICAST Associate Kenneth Andres, x231.
Tell Us About ICAST!
Judging by the response so far, enthusiasm for ICAST is as high as it's ever been. Share your thoughts about why you attend ICAST on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ICASTfishing and also keep up with the latest information about ICAST, the world's largest sportfishing trade show.
Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council Appointments
ASA members Geoff Ratte, Water Gremlin Company, Chris Horton, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and Thom Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association along with ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman were appointed to the 19-member Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The council was created in 1993 to advise the Secretary of the Interior on nationally significant recreational fishing, boating and aquatic resource conservation issues. ICAST Director Maria del Valle Hamilton was also named as an alternate to the council. During its 17 year history, the Council’s advice and recommendations have played a major role in helping the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shape the new strategic focus of its fisheries program and improve the efficiency of grant programs delivered through the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration programs.
ASA Partners with POMA on Sportfishing Communicator Award
In March, ASA and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) announced a new partnership to present the POMA/ASA Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award. The POMA/ASA Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award will be presented during the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) during the New Product Showcase Preview Reception, sponsored by ESPN Outdoors/BASS, on July 13, 2010. ICAST 2010 is scheduled for July 14-16, 2010, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information about the award, visit ASAfishing.org.
Jim Range National Casting Call
TheJim Range National Casting Call, produced by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, will be held Thursday, April 22, at Fletcher's Cove in the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Washington, D.C. The event brings Members of Congress, their staff and other policy makers together with the recreational fishing, boating and conservation community to fish for shad in the Potomac River and learn about the importance of collaborative fisheries conservation. Nearly 10 years ago, the event was spearheaded by conservation visionary, the late Jim Range.In 2009, the event was renamed to honor his memory. The Family & Youth Casting Call, being held Saturday, April 24, provides children and their families an opportunity to learn to fish and to learn about fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation issues. For more information, visit www.nationalcastingcall.com.
ASA Staff Attends 75th North American Conference
ASA and FishAmerica Foundation staff attended the 75th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held March 22-27, in Milwaukee, Wis. The conference is one of the largest gatherings of fishery and wildlife officials and other fish and wildlife interest groups held each year. ASA attended and participated in a variety of committee meetings including marine fisheries; legislative and federal budget appropriations; public access; energy and wildlife policy; fish and wildlife health; angler and boating participation; fisheries and water resources policy; and fish and wildlife trust funds.
2011 East and West Coast Consumer Shows Schedule
ASA has both coasts covered for the 2011 consumer show season with the ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition shows on the East Coast and the Fred Hall shows on the West Coast. Mark your calendar now for these shows in 2011.
ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition
February 10-13, 2011 - Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition: Worcester, MA
February 17-20, 2011 - The Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow: Oaks, PA
March 3-6, 2011 - World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition: Suffern, NY
March 18-20, 2011 - The Saltwater Fishing Expo: Somerset, NJ
The Fred Hall Show....The Ultimate Outdoor Experience
March 9-13, 2011 - The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Long Beach, CA
March 24-27, 2011 - The Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego, CA
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in March:
Aqua Design, Melba, ID; Brass n' Blades Lures, LLC, Brownsboro, TX; Changchun Youdu Baxi Business Limited Corporation, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; Disabled Boat Flags, Eastwood, KY; Dobyns Rods, Yuba City, CA; Fishin Shack, Daytona Beach Shores, FL; Greene Plastics Corp, Hope Valley, RI; Hatcams LLC, Wallingford, CT; Hi Way Innovation International Company Limited, Pan Chiao City, Taipei, People’s Republic of China; Hook Eze, Naples, FL; Hunchun Datong Import & Export Trade Co., Ltd, Hunchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; Lew's, Springfield, MO; McCowan Enterprises, Spokane, WA; Midcoast Products, Needville, TX; Pelican Products, Inc., Torrance, CA; PowerTeam Lures, Jackson, NJ; Primesource Sports LLC, Friendswood, TX; RST Fishing Inc., Kelowna, BC, Canada; Scent Blazer Pty Ltd., Sydney, NSW, Australia; SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, LLC, Lynnwood, WA; StyleMark, Inc., Ormond Beach, FL; Tomos Canada, Miami Beach, FL; Tournament Saver Pro, Harker Heights, TX; Unified Marine, Inc.-SeaSense, Newport, TN and Valley Fashions Ltd., Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Take an Active Role in New Member Recruitment
Please take an active role in member recruitment. If you would like to help ASA recruit new members, please:
- Include www.asafishing.org/tellmemore in your e-mail signature line, your e-mails to business colleagues or include the link on your Web site.
- Run ASA’s member recruitment advertising in your publication(s), on your Web site or in your electronic communications.
Contact Membership Director Jill Calabria, x234, for more information or to obtain copies of the member brochure or ad.
Become a Facebook Fan!
ASA, ICAST, KeepAmericaFishing and the FishAmerica Foundation combined have thousands of Facebook fans; but with 60 million anglers in the United States, we have a long way to go. Become a fan today and let your friends and family know that they, too, can be a sportfishing fan and do their part to stay informed and help keep our nation's fish and their habitats healthy and accessible now and for the future. Signing up for Facebook access is easy to do. Simply go to www.facebook.com and register an e-mail and password. Once you’re there, type in the American Sportfishing Association, ICAST, KeepAmericaFishing or FishAmerica in the Search box to visit each individual Facebook page. You don’t need to have a personal page to become a fan.
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.
Proposals for Marine and Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration due May 17, 2010
The FishAmerica Foundation and the NOAA Restoration Center are accepting proposals for community-based habitat restoration projects across coastal America, the Great Lakes region, and U.S. Territories of the Caribbean. Projects in the Great Lakes must restore habitat for diadromous sportfish such as lake sturgeon, walleye, and brook trout in the Great Lakes and applicable tributaries. Project proposals should focus on meaningful on-the-ground restoration of marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including salt marshes, mangrove forests, and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species (fish like salmon and striped bass that migrate to and from the sea). Non-profit organizations including local sporting clubs and conservation associations are encouraged to apply for funding. Interested organizations can find the application packet at www.fishamerica.org.
Federal Employees Continue Strong Support of FishAmerica Foundation
For the fourth year, the FishAmerica Foundation is listed as an eligible charity under the Combined Federal Campaign. The CFC Annual Workplace Giving Season begins September 1 and ends December 15. The CFC provides a way for federal employees to make donations to their favorite cause through a one-time or bi-weekly payroll deduction.During 2007 and 2008, FishAmerica received more than $40,000 in donations and, as of March 17, with 25 percent of the 2009 campaigns reports received, FishAmerica already has more than $10,000 in pledges. FishAmerica’s CFC Code is 12295.
Searching or Shopping Online? Support FishAmerica While You Do
FishAmerica has partnered with GoodSearch - http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/fishamerica-foundation - and GoodShop - http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx/ - to raise money to help keep our fish and waters healthy. Each time you shop online at one of the more than 1,300 participating outlets, including airline and hotel Web sites, a percentage of the purchase will automatically be donated to the FishAmerica Foundation – at no cost to you. Each time you search the Internet using the GoodSearch search function approximately a penny will be donated to the FishAmerica Foundation. Simply add the GoodSearch toolbar to your browser and search or shop as you normally do. Get the toolbar now at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/fishamerica-foundation.
ASA Member Contributions
FishAmerica would like to thank the following ASA members for their FY 2010 donations to the foundation: the BASS Federation Nation; Calderone & Associates; Carrera-Werner Sales Company; Citti Sales; Corporate Products, LLC (CORPRO); Costa Del Mar; Ed Cummings, 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.; 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 at: FishAmerica on Twitter (twitter.com/fishamerica) and FishAmerica on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FishAmerica)
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Wow, I’m still shaking my head over the recent media firestorm about banning recreational fishing in the United States. What started out as one veteran outdoor writer’s assessment of the Obama administration’s intentions to expand federal oversight of the nations’ oceans, coastal areas and the Great Lakes quickly ignited a national hue and cry about taking the rods and reels away from our nation’s anglers. I’ve lost count of the phone calls I’ve received from friends and foes alike looking for an explanation. Why did people react this way? Clearly we have information void when it comes to what’s going on with fisheries management in this county, but I believe it goes much further than that. The administration and Members of Congress felt the heat of the fishing ban firestorm and we’re getting some long overdue attention as a result. What we need to do is take advantage of this attention and focus on what we should do and say while the spotlight is on our industry.
Although the White House and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), which oversees commercial and recreational saltwater fishing, were quick to denounce plans to ban recreational fishing, I’m not convinced that they understand either the industry or what recreational fishing means to this nation’s 60 million anglers. The sportfishing industry, and anglers themselves, have always had a real desire to be active in designing our conservation approaches, and we’re more than willing to take some responsibility in the interest of making progress. Despite the billions of dollars we’ve funneled into this nation’s fisheries conservation efforts over the past 60 years, there are too many examples where recreational fishing is clearly considered part of the fisheries problems and, as a result, we’re being marginalized in the management decision making process. I believe a little paranoia is probably well justified.
This is certainly the case in California where, in 2006, policy makers came to our Board of Directors and asked us to become involved in the state’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) planning and implementation process. Despite our good faith efforts, in hindsight it’s clear that MLPA resource policy makers have never viewed the recreational fishing and boating communities as full partners in this process. Instead, we’ve been mislead throughout the effort. California is doing its very best to restrict the state’s millions of saltwater anglers from enjoying their sport in its shortsighted and fiscally irresponsible quest to establish far reaching, no-take zones in the state’s coastal waters.
In 2006, the same year California came to us with their assurances of partnership and cooperation, the Bush administration came to the sportfishing industry with requests for support for a new marine sanctuary in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. We said that we would be supportive of an open and fair process, but before the process could conclude, with the stroke of his pen, former President George W. Bush used a century-old law – the Antiquities Act – to establish the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, thus banning recreational fishing forever. What you might not know is that although recreational fishing ceased, commercial fishing in the sanctuary still continues today.
Just this past January, NOAA imposed a six-month ban on recreational and commercial fishing for red snapper in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the Atlantic coast of Florida. NOAA is also considering closing 5,791 square miles in the South Atlantic to all bottom fishing based on the first red snapper stock assessment in a decade. Further, these decisions are being made despite a significant lack of reliable economic data. By its own admission, NOAA does not know what effectthis decision will have on tackle shops in the region.
In addition, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, head of NOAA and one of the administration’s key advisors for federal marine fisheries issues, once proposed putting 20 percent of the ocean into no-fishing zones, 40 times the current percentage. To her credit, Dr. Lubchenco came to our Sportfishing Summit last October and made strong commitments to our community. Unfortunately, folks in our community seem to be more focused on actions than on words.
Lest you think that this push for restricting recreational fishing is unique to the United States, Australia’s anglers and conservation groups are encountering the U.S.-based Pew Charitable Trust and its push for Australia's Coral Sea to become the world's largest no-fishing zone. Doug Olander, in his blog for Sport Fishing magazine, recognizes this slick global campaign pointing out that Pew puts recreational fishing on equal footing with “industrial” fishing.
And I’ve just touched the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So why recreational fishing? Why did it take a media firestorm to get the administration’s attention on whether we should be blamed for the nation’s fisheries problems? Maybe because we are taken for granted? Maybe because they don’t fully appreciate the voluntary commitment, and investment, we’ve made in conservation? Maybe. But the response from our community can’t be ignored. It’s time for the administration to make its intentions clear and set our minds at ease by recognizing the significant social, economic, conservation and health impacts that recreational uses of our public resources have on this nation. We manage our public lands, such as wildlife refuges and parks, to both conserve our natural resources and for the public’s enjoyment. We should do the same thing for our oceans and Great Lakes.
The recreational fishing and boating community urges the administration to give priority consideration to recreational activities such as fishing and boating in its new ocean, coastal and Great Lakes management policy. We ask the administration to ensure that individuals and families have every opportunity to experience our nation’s vast marine resources. There is nothing like time on the water to help build a greater understanding, appreciation and support for our marine environment and responsible conservation management.
