2004 Sportfishing Summit
Advancing an Angling Agenda
 |
Dave Pfeiffer, ASA Board chairman and executive vice president
for Shimano American Corporation, opened the Signature Morning Session. |
|
David Pfeiffer
ASA Board Chairman
Executive Vice President
Shimano American Corporation
It’s my privilege to be ASA’s Board chairman during this
time of great progress and promise for ASA as well as for the industry
we are passionate about safeguarding.
The association has over 600 members and continues to grow as more industry
leaders become involved in the issues and activities that affect our
industry. We have more than 100 ASA members working with the Board, serving
on ten committees that guide the programs and services of ASA. President
and CEO Mike Nussman has a talented, professional staff to lead ASA in
improving member services, fishing participation and fisheries conservation. ICAST,
our trade show is once again a positive rallying point for the industry,
as well as a profitable enterprise. The New Product Showcase continues
to attract more and more attention and is becoming a main attraction
at the show.
New, and more relevant, formats for our Sportfishing Summit and National
Fishing and Boating Week events are helping to further unite our industry.
We have stronger relationships among manufacturers, buyers, wholesalers
and reps as well as with partners who lend their support to important
policy initiatives and advocacy affecting the sportfishing industry.
We’ve got a lot of things going for us, however, it is largely
up to us to keep the industry vigilant, united and mobilized in identifying
and combating influences that jeopardize the enduring tradition of fishing.
A strong Board and an informed and active membership give us our best
chance to meet the challenges of the future. As a group, the challenges
we face are very clear-cut, however it’s important for us to understand
not only what those challenges are but how they relate to each other.
Our first challenge is to make ourselves heard in Washington. We are
all in agreement that cultivating a strong political presence is one
of our most important objectives. The American Sportfishing Association
has the potential – and the responsibility – to effectively
and positively impact important legislation concerning fishing access
issues, potential bans on equipment and fishery resource allocation.
We are also charged with the task of promoting the fishing industry in
a responsible and proactive manner.
However, without member support, these objectives will remain at arm’s
length, which brings us to a goal that supersedes our need for recognition,
and that’s membership.
Improving efforts to bring new members into the ASA fold is vital to
our success, if not our existence. Without our members we lose credibility
as an organization which would compromise our ability to gain influence
in the political arena. Fortunately, there is no end to the variety of
programs we can implement to attract and secure new members. But it’s
going to take time, thought, continual improvement – and your involvement.
I urge you to reach out to your colleagues and invite them to join and
participate in the American Sportfishing Association, the voice of our
industry.
