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Eighty representatives of the saltwater fishing and boating community and leaders from the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came together for an expansive dialogue on marine conservation and recreation issues during a gathering spearheaded by the American Sportfishing Association in St. Pete Beach, Florida, February 24-25, 2003. The group laid the groundwork for collaborative approaches to marine policy-making that better represent and engage the agency’s recreational fishing and boating constituency.

The Sportfishing Leadership Conference was co-sponsored by BoatUS, the Billfish Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, International Game Fish Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, and Recreational Fishing Alliance. Commerce Department leaders participating included Dr. Bill Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries; Jack Dunnigan, Director of Sustainable Fisheries for the National Marine Fisheries Service; Rollie Schmitten, Director of Habitat Conservation for NMFS; Dr. Ron Baird, Director of the National Sea Grant College Program; and Margot Jackson, Senior Policy Advisor for the National Marine Sanctuaries Program.

"We had a lot of ground to cover on several longstanding issues, yet everyone came ready to share their perspectives, expertise, and experiences with the common goal to come away with a better understanding of what we need to accomplish together in the future," said Mike Nussman, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. "Saltwater anglers and boaters were well represented by this group, and we appreciated the goodwill and investment of time from Bill Hogarth and other Commerce Department leaders. Everyone demonstrated a strong commitment to work together to keep our ocean fish healthy and protect the fishing and boating experience."

A series of panel presentations prefaced teamwork to come up with resolutions for current obstacles to progress. Presenters covered topics such as catch allocations for commercial and recreational fishing, representation on the eight regional fisheries management councils with responsibility for ocean fisheries and those that migrate inland, and the role of marine protected areas in marine management.

The group made the following key recommendations to Commerce Department leaders:

Ø Better Representation: Create a viable programmatic office dedicated to recreational fishing and boating issues within the agency. Make communications a key function of the office, including regular networking with fishing guide associations, charter boat operators, angler advocacy groups, conservation organizations, marina operators, and sportfishing industry partners. Evaluate the process for appointments to regional fisheries management councils to ensure adequate representation of recreational fishing and boating interests.
 

Ø Stronger Role in Management Decisions: Dedicate more resources to data collection on saltwater angler and boater demographics, participation, and economic impacts as one way to help foster fairness in decisions on catch allocations for commercial and recreational fishing.

Ø Common Sense Approach on MPAs: In the spirit of conservation, create clearer definitions and specific science-based guidelines for the establishment and management of marine protected areas, including public involvement, conservation goals, provisions for enforcement, and evaluation criteria.

"From Alaska to Florida, the saltwater community was united on the common issues that need addressing," said Nussman. "The challenge is there’s still a lot of work to be done on our end, too. The American Sportfishing Association is committed to providing the leadership to keep the dialogue and progress going strong for saltwater fisheries."