October 2009 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 Ditton Family
2009 Sportfishing Summit Overview
Thank You Summit Sponsors
Mark Your Calendars for the 2010 Sportfishing Summit
ASA Comments on Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report
California Marine Life Protection Act Planning Update
Exhibiting at ICAST 2010
Mark Your Calendar for ICAST 2010 and 2011
Visit the New ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide
Become an ICAST Fan on Facebook
September/October Issue of American Sportfishing Available
Welcome New Members!
Book Your Space for the ASA Eastern Shows
FishAmerica Foundation Updates
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
Condolences to the Ditton Family
On behalf of the Board of Directors, ASA members and the staff, we extend our sincere condolences to the Ditton family on the passing of Robert Ditton, Ph.D., professor, Human Dimension Research Lab, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ditton passed away on October 30, 2009. A memorial service was held on November 3. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Robert B. Ditton Scholarship Fund at Cortland College. This scholarship underwrites expenses for low-income students to attend the Raquette Lake Outdoor Education Program. Please send donations to: Cortland College Foundation, PO Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045. Make checks payable to: Cortland College Foundation-Ditton.
2009 Sportfishing Summit Overview
The American Sportfishing Association’s 2009 Sportfishing Summit , the sportfishing industry’s premier networking and business management event, took place October 27 – 29, at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, Calif. More information about the Summit can be found on ASA’s Web site . Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., met with sportfishing industry leaders during the Summit. ASA was encouraged by Dr. Lubchenco’s words during the October 27 networking lunch and looks forward to working with her in the future to ensure that recreational fishing’s voice is heard at NOAA. Look for a full report on committee activities and other events in the November/December issue of ASA’s e-newsletter, American Sportfishing. For more information, contact Mary Jane Williamson , x227 or Ryan Colaianni , x222.
Thank You Summit Sponsors
The American Sportfishing Association would like to thank the 2009 Sportfishing Summit Sponsors : Gold – NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ; Silver – Take Me Fishing™ Campaign and the U.S. Geological Survey ,; and Bronze – ZEBCO Brands , Southwick Associates , and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for helping to make this year’s membership meeting a success.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2010 Sportfishing Summit
ASA invites its members and partners to the 2010 Sportfishing Summit scheduled for October 26 – 28, at the Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. More information on the program for the 2010 Summit will be available in mid-2010. For more information, contact Mary Jane Williamson , x227 or Ryan Colaianni , x222.
ASA Comments on Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report
In October, ASA submitted comments to the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), on its Interim Report which was released on September 17. ASA expressed its concerns about the report’s omission of responsibly regulated recreational fishing as a key activity for the oceans and the Great Lakes. In addition, as a national policy document governing the oceans and Great Lakes, the report is skewed toward a preservationist policy of locking up public waters instead of promoting sustainable uses such as recreation, including recreational fishing. ASA and other representatives of the recreational fishing community have since met with CEQ and Ocean Policy Task Force members to further discuss these concerns. For more information on the Ocean Policy Task Force, visit www.keepamericafishing.org/oceantaskforce.html .
California Marine Life Protection Act Planning Update
ASA and the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), which represents recreational fishing and boating interests in California, continue to be engaged in the Marine Life Protection Act South Coast Planning Process. The PSO held its quarterly meeting in October to strategize for the October Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) Meeting. In addition, ASA and fellow members of the PSO met with BRTF members prior to its meeting.
The South Coast BRTF met October 20-22 to review three marine protected area (MPA) proposals to be forwarded to the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) at its December 9-10 meeting in Los Angeles. At the meeting the BRTF voted to advance all three proposals to the FGC. The BRTF will meet again on November 10 to finalize development of an integrated preferred alternative. Proposal 2, which ASA and the PSO support, is one of the original three proposals forwarded to the FGC. Proposal 2 places MPAs in locations with a high level of conservation while minimizing the economic impact on local communities and allowing anglers maximum access to fishing.
Exhibiting at ICAST 2010
Now is the time to reserve your space at ICAST 2010, being held July 14–16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nearly 70 percent of exhibit space has been sold, so reserve your space today! Contracts and booth assignments will not be processed until a deposit is received. The ICAST 2010 exhibit space contract and floor plan are available on ICASTfishing.org . For more information, contact Kenneth Andres , x231.
Mark Your Calendar for ICAST 2010
ICAST will return to Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2010. We look forward to seeing you there!
ICAST 2010 – July 14 - 16, 2010, Las Vegas Convention Center
Visit the New ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide
The ICAST 2009 Buyers’ Guide is also available online. Visit the new ICAST Online Buyers’ Guide for “who’s who” in the sportfishing industry and what each industry member offers.
Become an ICAST Fan on Facebook
ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing tradeshow, now has a presence on Facebook. Become an ICAST fan on Facebook and stay informed with important ICAST news. Be the first on your block to become an ICAST friend on the ICAST Facebook page !
September/October Issue of American Sportfishing Available
The September/October issue of American Sportfishing, the official publication of the American Sportfishing Association, is available online . If you did not receive an electronic copy of American Sportfishing and would like to be added to the distribution list, please send an e-mail to ASAcomm@asafishing.org .
Welcome New Members!
ASA welcomes these new members or members who reinstated their membership in October: Aspen Partners, Huntsville, UT; Baja Fish Gear , LLC, Lomita, CA; CharkBait! , Huntington Beach, CA; Collect America Commercial Services Inc. , Lenexa, KS; Island Global Yachting , Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Woody Wax , Jupiter, FL
Book Your Space for the ASA Eastern Shows
The ASA/Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition consumer shows are gearing up for the 2010 show season. Now is the time to reserve space for the Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Worcester, Mass.,Feb. 11-14, 2010; Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow, Oaks, Pa., Feb. 25-28, 2010; World Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Suffern, N.Y., Mar. 4-7, 2010; and The Saltwater Fishing Expo, Somerset, N.J., Mar. 19-21, 2010. Current ASA members who participate in all four of ASA/ Eastern Fishing & Outdoor exposition shows will receive a 20 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 or Grants Manager Erica George, x247.
FishAmerica Holds Annual Committee and Board Meeting during Sportfishing Summit
FishAmerica Foundation held its annual meetings for its board of directors and members of its conservation and research committees during the Sportfishing Summit last week. After a review of 2009 and an update on plans for 2010, members of both committees and the board approved FishAmerica’s 2010 budget.
FishAmerica Staff Visits Fish Habitat Restoration Project in San Diego
In conjunction with the 2009 Sportfishing Summit, Johanna Laderman, executive director, met with staff of the Ocean Discovery Institute to visit the site of a completed project in San Diego, at Dog Beach. The project, funded through FishAmerica’s partnership with the NOAA Restoration Center, restored more than three acres of tidal wetland and five acres of dune to benefit sportfish in the San Diego River. The $25,000 grant was leveraged with an additional $67,500 in funds – a more than two to one match on FishAmerica dollars. Volunteers spent more than 3,750 hours removing invasive plants and replanting the tidal wetland that provides spawning, rearing and foraging habitat for many species of sportfish including halibut.
FishAmerica Announces Funding Available for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fisheries Habitat Restoration
FishAmerica announced the availability of up to $350,000 in funding through its partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust . This year, the sixth of the partnership, FishAmerica and the Trust welcome a new partner, the NOAA Restoration Center . The partnership dedicates funding to restore fish habitat, improve water quality, and enhance fish stocks in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. This year features a new track, the Headwaters Restoration track, which specifically focuses on restoration of headwater fish habitat throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Grants of up to $75,000 will be announced in March 2010. See the Request for Proposals for more details and visit the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s online grants site to apply. 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. These projects have restored more than 15 acres of wetlands and riparian areas, enhanced 46 square miles of instream habitat, provided three miles of passage to upstream habitat and created 11 acres of reef habitat.
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
We certainly have a lot of challenges facing our industry right now. From access, to participation and the economic situation in this country, including an unemployment rate that is the highest in 26 years and is expected to continue to rise, there is no shortage of problems that we are working on in your behalf. Despite these challenges, I was encouraged by what took place during our 2009 Sportfishing Summit, October 27-29.
During the Summit, Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, spoke to Summit attendees about the concerns of the sportfishing industry. Since Dr. Lubchenco took office with NOAA, she has heard concerns from many of ASA’s members regarding NOAA policy and actions regarding issues on our nation’s coasts. I was very impressed with the way that Dr. Lubchenco addressed those concerns during the Summit.
Dr. Lubchenco addressed issues such as the Obama administrations Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, a report that ASA has serious reservations about. However, she promised that recreational fishing’s interests will be addressed when the task force releases its final report.
While Dr. Lubchenco also talked about NOAA’s new Marine Recreational Information Program and a draft catch-share policy, it was what she said as she finished answering questions from members of the industry that struck me as significant. She said, “I will be your champion.” That is a very powerful statement for the leader of NOAA. We can never have enough partners working with our interests at heart, and Dr. Lubchenco could be a very strong partner. We certainly could use someone in NOAA who understands and advocates for saltwater recreational fishing and I am hopeful that Dr. Lubchenco can be that person.
I look forward to seeing actions come from those words and I look forward to working with her and NOAA staff. We hope that she will truly be our champion as we work towards solutions on many issues facing our industry.
Also during the Summit, the ASA Board of Directors and ASA Committees met and covered a variety of issues. I want to thank the board and ASA committee members for making this year’s Summit a success. It is through your participation that drives the direction of ASA. We accomplished a great deal during the Summit through our meetings and I hope that all Summit attendees were pleased with the meetings and sessions that took place.
I want to thank all of our Summit attendees for their dedication to the industry and their participation during the Summit.
