ASA Board of Directors Action Report
General Membership Meeting, Oct. 30, 2008
The
actions of the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA)
Board of Directors were reported at the General Membership meeting
held Oct. 30. With the exception of one motion which was put forward
during the Oct. 28 board meeting, the other motions for board action
came through ASA’s committees which met on Wednesday, October
29.
General
Motion
The
Board approved a motion that ASA take the lead in assembling a
coalition of angling and boating organizations to meet the challenge
of fishing closures and fishery management issues at a meeting
to be held in the near future.
Communications
Committee
In
an effort to increase revenue and cover costs, the board approved
several motions that would allow for advertising in American
Sportfishing,
the association’s newsletter. The board also approved an
increase in registration fees for the ICAST non-member Media-Sales
category.
Consumer
Show Committee
The
Board accepted as information that ASA would inform to its members
about ASA’s consumer shows and encourage their participation.
Data
and Stats Committee
The
board approved a motion to provide the resources to investigate
developing indices to accurately and timely report licenses sales
by state, boat sales by state and monthly wholesale and retail
fishing tackle sales trends.
Finance
Committee
The
board approved the FY 2009 budget motion to accept the FY 2009
budget with modifications with further revisions to the revenue
and expense columns.
Government
Affairs
The
board approved several motions under Government Affairs.
Sport
Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
A motion was
approved that provided for the following position regarding the reauthorization
of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which will begin
in the new session of Congress:
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Maintain and increase
the Sport Fish Restoration account value so continuing
sportfish management needs are met at the state level.
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Maintain the transfer of fuel
tax revenue attributable to motor boat and small engine
use from the Highway Trust Fund.
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Examine the Highway Trust
Fund for ways to improve its efficiency and function relative
to revenue, including changing all accounts to a percent
of the total revenues and minimize administrative costs
charged to the trust fund by including them within accounts
allocated by a percentage of the whole.
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Include language in the reauthorization
that reduces a state’s apportionment by the percentage
of waters closed to recreational fishing for reasons other
than fisheries science, excluding national security.
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Include a provision that would
establish an industry advisory council that allows for
direct input from the sportfishing industry on how Sport
Fish Restoration money is spent or, as an alternate course
of action for consideration by the Government Affairs committee,
pursue opportunities to increase the sportfishing industry’s
input on how sportfish restoration money is spent.
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Be vigilant and proactive to
avoid trust fund revenue short falls while seeking additional
revenue sources.
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Increase funding for Sport Fish
Restoration outreach (up to 3 percent equivalent of current
statute) so that research, marketing and promotional activities
to increase the number of anglers and boaters continues. |
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Require
state matching fund programs for second-tier marketing.
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Provide financial incentives
to incorporate major angler education programs in an
angler education consortium.
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Include language that allows
states to use up to 10 percent of their apportionment
for angler and boater outreach.
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ICAST
Pending
approval by the Show Committee, the board approved a motion that
would include language in the International Convention of Allied
Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) Exhibitor Service Manual regarding
adherence with local, state and federal laws and detrimental
and unethical behavior. Such processes would provide ASA with
better ICAST enforcement capabilities.
National
Fish Habitat Action Plan
The
board approved a motion directing ASA to submit a letter to the
National Fish Habitat Board supporting the acceptance of the
reservoir partnership.
Membership
Committee
The
board approved a motion to use “Your right to fish is on
the line” in promoting ASA to prospective members. The
board accepted as information a request that it consider requiring
wholesalers who attend ICAST to be members. The board accepted
as information a recommendation to place a voluntary donation
option for retailers on the ICAST registration form. No board
action was taken on the recommendations.
Show
Committee
The board approved three motions regarding the ICAST New Product
Showcase (NPS). The NPS format will remain in its current format
for 2009; exhibitors will be excluded from the NPS during the voting
period and voting will be for buyers and media with only one ballot
per buying entity or media outlet. The board also approved holding
ICAST 2011 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
