Sportfishing Industry and Community Partners release policy recommendations for recreational fishing

by Rob Shane 15 Oct 2024 16:58 PDT

The Future of Sportfishing: Policy Recommendations from the Recreational Fishing Community © American Sportfishing Association

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the trade association for the sportfishing industry, along with 16 conservation partners released a roadmap for the next Administration and Congress to support the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community.

THE FUTURE OF SPORTFISHING: Policy Recommendations from the Recreational Fishing Community was a collaborative effort aimed at guiding science-based conservation, growth in trade in commerce, increasing access and education, and advocating for the rights of the American angler.

This document was a collaborative effort by a group of recreational fishing industry, conservation, and community stakeholders. The supporting organizations are widely recognized leaders in habitat conservation, access protection, and recreational fishing policy advocates. These sportfishing community partners collectively represent thousands of businesses and 57.7 million American anglers.

Read the full report here

"Each year, one out of six Americans go fishing - contributing $148 billion to the U.S. economy," said Mike Leonard, Vice President of Government Affairs at ASA. "The next Administration and Congress should clearly understand what issues our constituency cares about, and this report gives them a roadmap on how they can best support our community's needs."

The recommendations are divided into three categories: federal funding requests, marine policy proposals, and freshwater policy proposals:

National Conservation Funding

Adequate and dedicated funding for federal land management agencies
Reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund
Enhanced funding for state-led collaborative conservation

Marine Fisheries Policy Proposals

Improve data and access
Investments in marine technologies
Effective fisheries management
Species habitat and recovery

Freshwater Fisheries Policy Proposals

Legislation to protect habitat and support restoration
Strengthen interstate partnerships
Conserve waterways and protect public access
Invasive species management and removal

Recreational fishing is one of the most popular and accessible ways to connect the public, especially diverse audiences, to the outdoors. The recreational fishing community also provides substantial investments toward the conservation of our publicly shared resources. License sales, the federal excise tax on the sale of fishing equipment, and direct donations contribute $1.8 billion towards aquatic resource conservation each year.

"We're proud to stand alongside so many influential voices in the sportfishing community to make our voice heard and we look forward to working with the next Administration and Congress to support these critical initiatives," added Leonard.

With continued support from Congress and the White House, we can continue to grow our sport's economic contributions while also protecting our fisheries and restoring our cherished waterways.

Hear more from our supporting partners.