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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO ENVIRONMENTAL, NATIONAL, AND OUTDOORS EDITORS:
Boating Industry Supports Fisheries Reform
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an exclusive
online interview with the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), Thom
Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association
(NMMA), says recreational anglers have been "overlooked" by federal
law and regulatory restrictions.
In the Spring 2014 digital edition of RFA's Making Waves, Dammrich
says reduced recreational access to coastal fisheries has had a major
negative effect on the recreational boating industry at all levels,
explaining how loss of fishing opportunities for anglers "impacts
production, jobs, profitability and reduces the boating industry's
contribution to the national economy."
"The recreational boating industry is unique in that 93% of the boats
sold in the United States are actually built in the United States by
American companies and an American workforce," Dammrich told RFA.
"When government regulations negatively impact the public's ability to
fish or boat it has a direct effect on thousands of U.S. jobs and that
is a strong message for Congress."
A non-profit, grassroots political action organization established in
1996 specifically to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers,
protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs and ensure the long-term
sustainability of U.S. saltwater fisheries, RFA has led the federal
charge to reform the Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Conservation and
Management Act (MSA) on behalf of recreational fishing interests
nationwide.
RFA's efforts to keep fishermen fishing in U.S. coastal waters have
led to two national rallies in Washington DC in 2010 and 2012, as well
as bipartisan efforts to amend federal law. However, heavy pressure
by environmental lobbyists have essentially stalled MSA reform efforts
in Congress, forcing undue economic hardship on the recreational
boating and fishing community.
"We fully support working towards building healthy, sustainable
fisheries, but there has to be reasonable access for recreational
fishing and that is what has been overlooked under current federal law
and regulations," Dammrich said in his Making Waves interview, while
praising RFA's efforts to represent the recreational fishing community
on Capitol Hill.
"The RFA was right, there's no mistaking that," said Dammrich, adding
"recreational fishermen and the industry are now fighting an uphill
battle to fix the mistakes of the past."
Read the full interview with NMMA's Thom Dammrich, and get news,
information and opinion pieces geared towards saltwater anglers and
the recreational fishing industry at
http://issuu.com/recreationalfishingalliance/docs/spring\_2014\_e-news.
Learn more about RFA at www.joinrfa.org or find us on Facebook !
CONTACT: Jim Hutchinson, 888-564-6732, jhutchinson@joinrfa.org
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140325/DC90372
SOURCE Recreational Fishing Alliance
-0- 03/25/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140325/DC90372
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.joinrfa.org
CO: Recreational Fishing Alliance
ST: District of Columbia
IN: ENV
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PRN
-- DC90372 --
0000 03/25/2014 17:18:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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