The close of 2023 marked another successful year for the Association in Washington, DC and state capitals across the country. Despite the gridlock in Congress, we continued to work in a bipartisan fashion to move our priority issues forward. Sportfishing and outdoor recreation remain safe spaces for lawmakers and the Administration to find common ground and ensure more Americans than ever can enjoy time in the outdoors and on the water.
Last year, ASA and our members engaged lawmakers and agencies on various issues, testified at hearings, hosted site visits, and much more. Some highlights from our 2023 campaigns include:
- Established the Fisheries in the Farm Bill Coalition to promote sound private land management that benefits fish habitat and fishing access.
- Pushed for successful veto of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, a project that would have detrimental impacts on the world’s largest, wild sockeye salmon fishery.
- Helped develop a landmark report recommending policies to combat harmful aquatic invasive species.
- Advocated for rejecting a petition to create an unwarranted vessel speed zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
As we look ahead to 2024, we anticipate many of our priority issues will see a wave of momentum. With the November 5th election looming, Congress can move bipartisan issues with broad outdoor recreation community support.
A few of our priority bills for the 2024 calendar year include:
- EXPLORE Act / America’s Outdoor Recreation Act
- MAPWaters Act
- Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
- Youth Coastal Fishing Program Act
- SHARKED Act
In addition to engaging elected officials, we’ll also continue to work with our partners in federal and state agencies, regional fisheries councils and commissions, and our members to ensure regulatory actions are based on the best available science and that the priorities of the sportfishing industry are considered early and often in rulemaking processes.
- Work with NOAA to promote meaningful approaches to recover the North Atlantic right whale and revise the deeply flawed, overreaching proposed vessel speed restriction.
- Improve management of Mid-Atlantic summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.
- Support balanced stock management approaches to restore Atlantic striped bass.
- Protect the right to use traditional fishing tackle at the federal and state levels.
- Enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the Florida constitution.
ASA’s government affairs team is committed to our policy objectives: to increase access to fishing, ensure abundant fisheries, and improve trade and commerce in the sportfishing industry. We are excited about what lies ahead and look forward to working with our more than 800 members to build upon the successes of 2023.
Share This Article, Choose Your Platform:
Recent Posts
AUTHOR
