The American Sportfishing Association helped bring together 80 representatives of the salt water fishing and boating community with U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce leaders to discuss marine conservation and recreational issues. Held in February in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, the meeting consisted of panel presentations covering such topics as the role of marine protected areas in management and catch allocations for commercial and recreational fishing. The group recommended that the Commerce Department representatives create a dedicated office to address recreational boating and fishing issues and better communicate with conservation and angler-advocacy groups. The group also recommended stronger data collection on salt water angling and recreational boating to better understand the impact of management decisions, and asked for specific, science-based guidelines for the establishment of marine protected areas. For more information, visit www.asafishing.org or call (888) 872-8862.
