Saltwater Edge is excited to announce that for the entire month of December, we will be donating 1% of total sales back to the American Saltwater Guides Association. We believe strongly that the ASGA mission aligns with one of our core values:

- Preserve and protect our natural resources and the access to them 

As you can read below ASGA is an effective organization that punches way above its weight. Their "fish first" approach often puts them at odds with powerful organizations more focused on the short term. Nature plays a long game and true outdoorsman recognize this fact. ASGA believes that "if you take care of the fish the fish will take care of us"

One of their highest priorities is to bring accountability to the ASMFC. This is the organization responsible for the current state of our striped bass fishery. If you have concerns about the striped bass fishery you can learn more here.

ASGA Year in Review

2021 has been a year of enormous growth for ASGA, as we have strengthened our relationships within Congress and the Biden administration, provided input on critical interstate and federal fisheries issues, and expanded our outreach and research efforts. 

Some of our key activities over the past year have included: 

• Provided expert testimony in the House of Representatives at a House Natural Resources  Committee Legislative Hearing to discuss three bills introduced in 2021: Congressman  Huffman (D-CA-2) and Congressman Case’s (D-HI-01) H.R. 4690, the Sustaining  America’s Fisheries for the Future Act. Congressman Young’s (R-AK-At Large) H.R. 59,  the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries  Management Act; and Congresswoman Dingell’s (D-MI-12) H.R. 5770, the Forage Fish  Conservation Act of 2021 (this bill is also incorporated into H.R. 4690). 

• Meeting with staff members from nearly 30 Congressional offices to push for meaningful reform to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the nation’s federal fisheries management law. Examples of potential enhancements to the law include: increasing the resilience of our nation’s fisheries to climate change; improving recreational fishery data collection; and strengthening protections for habitat and forage fish. 

• Educating and activating the recreational community to be powerful voices for the conservation of striped bass, whose population is currently at a 25-year low. Through an intensive outreach campaign in the spring of 2021, we generated overwhelming public comments successfully calling for the removal of the most concerning provisions of an upcoming amendment to the Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. 

• Establishing a consistent and productive dialogue with the Biden administration, including: sharing our fisheries conservation priorities with the National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries; membership on the steering committee for the 2022 Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit; and attendance at regular conservation, wildlife, and outdoor recreation stakeholder calls hosted by the White House Executive Office of the President. 

• Bolstering our presence in the activities of the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. These include: appointment of one of our Board members to the South Atlantic Council; appointment of our Executive Director to three Mid-Atlantic Council Advisory Panels; and submission of public comments regarding bluefish rebuilding, forage fish conservation, and a concerning recreational fishery management reform effort.

• Launching a podcast, entitled “The Guide Post,” in March 2021. Thus far, we have hosted 21 episodes covering a wide range of topics, from striped bass conservation to the increasing role of technology in recreational fisheries to the legislation granting management authority to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The podcast is available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

• Leading a research project to improve catch data collected from the recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, and serving as a collaborator on a project to assess the post-release survival of recreationally caught shortfin mako sharks through the deployment of electronic tags. 

• Incorporating a 501(c)(4) advocacy partner, the ASGA Fisheries Policy Alliance, Inc., to expand our lobbying capabilities at the federal level. 

We appreciate the opportunity to share some of our recent accomplishments with you and look forward to further expanding our growth and impact in 2022. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about ASGA, our recent work, or how you can support our mission through a tax-deductible donation. You can also learn more by visiting our website at 

www.saltwaterguidesassociation.org. 

Tight lines, 

Willy Goldsmith, Ph.D. - Executive Director 

Tony Friedrich - Vice President and Policy Director 

John McMurray - President