The Politics of Fish

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a national non-profit that works, in partnership with industry and government, to increase participation in recreational boating and fishing. RBFF President/CEO, Dave Chanda , spoke with host, Mike Leonard, about the latest numbers and trends on fishing participation. One of the exciting areas of growth highlighted in RBFF's annual report...

Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), speaks with host Mike Leonard about a recent bill that would undermine the Wildlife Restoration Program , which exists thanks to the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.  Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09) and 53 cosponsors introduced the RETURN our Constitutional Rights Act , which would eliminate the f...

ASA's Southeast Fisheries Policy Director, Martha Guyas, talks with host Mike Leonard about red snapper management in the Gulf and South Atlantic. Guyas explains the why there is frustration and mistrust between anglers and managers, particularly the federal government. At the same time, Guyas offers a glimmer of hope highlighting the record abundance and potential for better recreational access a...

This special edition of the podcast is a recording of the webinar, "Sportfishing Spotlight: An Insider’s Guide to the Critical Policy and Legislative Issues Affecting our Industry," which aired on June 16, 2022. You can also watch a recording of the webinar on ASA's YouTube channel .  Hosted by ASA’s VP of Government Affairs Mike Leonard, the webinar features the entire ASA Government Affairs...

Sam Snyder of the Wild Salmon Center talks with host Mike Leonard about the economic, cultural, and environmental importance of Alaska's Bristol Bay fishery. It is the last great sockeye salmon fishery of its kind, in addition to being home to rainbow trout, bears, and more of Alaska's incredible wildlife.  Pebble Mine is a proposed copper and gold mine that would be built at the headwaters o...

Kurt Thiede, Government Affairs Director at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), talks with host Mike Leonard about a once-in-a-generation wildlife bill, Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA), and the ongoing implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Thiede worked with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for 18 years. Be...

Jesse Simpkins is Vice President of Marketing at St. Croix Rods and the chair of ASA's Board of Directors. Simpkins' love for fishing began in childhood. Both of his grandfathers fished and shared their love of the sport with him. Before he entered the sportfishing industry, Simpkins was asked during a job interview what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Without skipping a beat, Simpkins...

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) is a coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations. By bringing together various outdoor recreation stakeholders from recreational fishing to the RV and education communities and beyond, ORR promotes the growth of the whole outdoor recreation economy and outdoor recreation activities.   Jessica (Wahl) Turner is ORR's President. After graduatin...

Chris Macaluso is the Center for Marine Fisheries Director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). He works with partner organizations to advance habitat restoration efforts across the Gulf of Mexico and improve federal fisheries management law and policy.  Menhaden are an integral part of the food web for sportfish and the largest volume fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Man...

Based in Olympia, Washington, ASA's new Pacific Fisheries Policy Director , Larry Phillips, brings 20 years of experience at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and a love of recreational fishing to the job. While at WDFW, Phillips served as Region 6 Director, managing ocean fisheries policy issues, working to improve public access to fisheries and helping implement state laws and fe...

Chris Horton is the Senior Director of Fisheries Policy at the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), an organization dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. In response to the Biden Administration's “ America the Beautiful ” initiative to conserve 30 percent of national lands and waters by 2030, CSF created the Hunt Fish 30x30 Coalition . T...

Guy Harvey is well known for his depictions of marine life, especially marlin and other sportfish species. Guy's interest in the marine environment, however, extends beyond art to science and conservation. He holds a Ph. D. in fisheries biology and actively supports marine scientific research through the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Institute at Nova Southeastern Univ...

On Tuesday, February 15, the American Sportfishing Association hosted a webinar with U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) . Representative Wittman is one of Congress’ biggest anglers and has been a champion of recreational fishing and conservation throughout his tenure. He also serves on the House Natural Resources Committee.  In this audio release of the webinar, Rep. Wittman provides us with...

The American Sportfishing Association's Atlantic Fisheries Policy Director, Mike Waine , talks everything striped bass with host, Mike Leonard. From the life history of striped bass to what's contributing to their decline and the actions fisheries managers are taking to help the species, Waine explains it all.  View the graphics mentioned in this episode, here .  For ways to get involved...

This week's guest is Dave Bulthuis , President of North America for Pure Fishing, the world's largest fishing and tackle company. In the episode, Dave and host, Mike Leonard, discuss a variety of topics, including how Dave got his start in the sportfishing industry and red snapper regulations. For ways to get involved in sportfishing policy visit https://keepamericafishing.org/ and https://asafish...

In this inaugural episode of The Politics of Fish , host and Vice President of Government Affairs at the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Mike Leonard sits down with ASA President, Glenn Hughes to talk about the association's strategic plan. Hughes describes how the plan is essential for growing and supporting ASA's work and the recreational fishing industry. Hughes also provides useful su...