Advocates for changes to recreational fishing management were on Capitol Hill Wednesday to educate members of Congress and media on the recently released Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries.
Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boats, co-chairmen of the Morris-Deal Commission, joined partners from the American Sportfishing Association, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Center for Coastal Conservation, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership on Capitol Hill and for National Press Club briefing events.
The group first met with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, kicking off its first briefing of the year, according to the NMMA. Congressional staff, members of the foundation’s board and representatives of the recreational fishing and boating communities filled the room.
The briefing focused on the necessary framework for a marine fisheries management system that addresses the needs of anglers and the industry while enhancing the full range of economic, social and conservation benefits that recreational fishing provides to the nation.
Following the Sportsmen’s Foundation event, Morris and Deal offered remarks to the media at the National Press Club, where more than 35 attendees and reporters, including the Business Journal, gathered to learn more about the economic impact of recreational fishing and boating.
Look for a story about the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as it goes to Congress for reauthorization, in the April issue of Soundings Trade Only.
