With midterm election season (mostly) behind us, we know you are ready for a break from the nonstop political ads on TV and the radio. How about spending some time getting up to speed on critical ASA policy issues? ASA’s government affairs team is hard at work protecting the interests of the sportfishing community and wants to keep you informed through our bimonthly podcast, The Politics of Fish. Listen to leaders of the sportfishing and outdoor recreation industries who offer insights into the complex world of legislative and regulatory issues that impact fisheries management and recreational fishing.
Over the past several months, Government Affairs VP and podcast host Mike Leonard, has talked to a wide array of guests including scientists, sportfishing manufacturers and staff members on the ASA Government Affairs team.
Now that the election is over, there is time to catch up on the episodes that matter most to you and your business. To make it easy, episodes from the last 4 months are listed below:
July
Dave Chanda, President and CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) discusses fishing participation rates and the latest trends and areas of growth across the industry.
August
Chris Moore, Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) on Atlantic Menhaden and the science, commercial harvest history and management challenges related to this fishery.
Ed Schriever, Executive Director of the Idaho Department of Fish & Game highlights the National Fish Habitat Partnership and how it enhances fish and aquatic communities through conservation partnerships.
September
John DePersenaire, Sustainability Officer at Viking Yachts reviews a proposed regulation that would force thousands of boats off the Atlantic coast to slow to just 10 knots in an attempt to protect North Atlantic Right Whales.
Host Mike Leonard highlights the federal legislative activity ASA is engaged in and speaks with ASA Southeast Fisheries Policy Director Martha Guyas on South Atlantic Red Snapper policies.
October
Phil Lillo, CEO and Owner of the Don Coffey Company, introduces himself as the new Chair of ASA’s Board of Directors, and discusses how he got started in the industry and ways that both ASA members and non-members can get involved with the sportfishing community.
Gary Jennings, ASA’s Keep Florida Fishing Director, talks about ways he ensures recreational fishing thrives in Florida and highlights the development of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary restoration blueprint.
November
Bill Shedd, Chairman and CEO of the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO), and the inaugural winner of ASA’s Gary J. Zurn Conservation Award, highlights the importance of giving back to natural resources and changes to marine conservation throughout history.
If you’d like to explore the podcast beyond the above episodes, you can check out past episodes on all major podcast channels, including Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Podbay.
Thanks for your continued support and we hope you enjoy the show!
About
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the sportfishing and boating industries as well as the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry and anglers a unified voice when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous, as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic, conservation and social values of sportfishing in America. ASA also gives America’s 55 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through Keep America Fishing, our national angler advocacy campaign. America’s anglers generate nearly $50 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for 800,000 people.