Alexandria, Va. – October 10, 2024 – 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.
“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.
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