# Presentation: 510283

## Conservation in the

- Recreational Fishing Community
- Dean W. Crawford, President
- International Big Fish Network

## Presentation Content

- Anglers call themselves conservationists, but what have they done to deserve that title?
- Given this history, what can anglers do now and in the future to continue to support conservation?

**Notes:**
First I Thank you for inviting IBFN to this meeting
It has been educational and I think productive in terms of sharing ideas
You’ll have some good ideas.

Anglers call themselves conservationists
 but what have they done to deserve that title?
Given this history
what can anglers do now and in the future to continue to support conservation?

## HISTORY

- If I Knew Then
- What I Know Now

- 1970’s

- 2005

**Notes:**
This photo was taken 30 years ago
the guy kneeling in the center is me.
If I only knew then what I know now!
Recreational anglers pride themselves on being conservationists
Today, I am pleased to be among them

## RecFish Conservation

- >97% Catch And Release
- Minimum Size & Bag Limits
- Fish Hanging On The Dock Is Rare
- Taxidermy From Dimensions
- Tournaments Rewarding and/or
-          Requiring Use Of Circle Hooks
- Supporting Area Closures

**Notes:**
IBFN has over 200 tournaments on our website
We have collected conservation related tournament data for over 6 years.
I feel very comfortable in telling you that recreational fisherman are doing more to conserve fish than ever before
Recreational fishing, lead by fishing clubs, associations and tournaments, are over 97% catch and release.
Today it is exception to find a Tournament Billfish hanging at the dock.
Tournaments have minimum size and bag limits often more conservation minded than the law requires.
Taxidermists now build fish completely from measurements with no requirement to kill “the big one”.
It’s rare when a Charter boat captain puts a marlin or sailfish on the dock.
Today there is a growing tournament trend of rewarding and in many cases requiring the use of circle hooks
My thanks go out to those recreational fishing organizations that helped fight the battle for area closures.
Credit is also due NOAA fisheries for having the courage to implement area closures
 and now stay the course and continue protecting these areas
Thanks to your efforts we are now seeing swordfish back in south Florida
In the last year, IBFN has added a few swordfish tournaments to our directory.

## Recreational Fisherman Turned Conservationist

- IBFN Associates Are Mostly Recreational Fisherman
- Internet Communications A Core Competency
- Educating The Fishing Community With Newsletters, Website And Learning Programs
- Best Practices - Prefer Peer Reviewed Science
- Commercial & Recreational Fishers
- Fisheries Managers
- General Public
- Education Programs – Ocean Issues, Best Practices & Fisheries Careers
- Big Fish Challenge
- Celebrating Our Oceans Pilot Project

**Notes:**
IBFN is one of many examples of recreational fishers proactive support of conservation.
IBFN’s associates are recreational fishers and proactive for sustainable ocean fisheries.
IBFN is a 501c3 organization.
I am proud to tell you that we may be the only organization that has the Blue Water Fishermen’s Association and Viking Yachts as organizational members.
We believe that sustainable ocean fisheries, particularly the highly migratory apex predatory fish, are an international problem.
One core competency that makes IBFN particularly effective is leveraging our internet skills for timely and cost effect communications to the international fishing community.
IBFN is educating fishers and the general public on conservation issues through timely newsletters, website content and incentive-based learning programs
IBFN advocates Best Practices to our constituency of recreational and commercial fishers, fisheries managers and the general public 
We disseminate information on new technologies and methods that reduces impact and helps build sustainable fisheries.
We prefer to advocate conservation techniques supported by peer reviewed science 
For instance we have an extensive collection of supporting science and how to articles on recreational use of circle hooks 
IBFN has two education programs motivated with significant learning incentives
We offer substantial monthly, quarterly and annual prizes in the Big Fish Challenge on our website.
This month and next, we are conducting a pilot project for 3500 high school students in Martin County, Florida
Here again we are using substantial rewards to promote learning and we rely on the local community to provide the prizes.
These educational efforts are focused on ocean issues, best practices and careers in fisheries
We are working with AFS, Guy Harvey Institute and many other organizations that have appropriate educational content
Clearly I am proud of IBFN but we are only one example of recreational fishers working hard for conservation.

## Moving Forward

- Better Understand the RecFish community
- Take the High Road in our conservation message
- Develop and promote Best Practices
- Public Education

**Notes:**
To move conservation forward in the RecFish Community we offer these thoughts
Better understanding of the RecFish Community
And a  better conservation message we can share

## Moving Forward

- Rely On Recfish Community Leaders
- Fishing Associations & Clubs
- Tournaments
- Charter Boat Operators
- We Need To Determine:
- How to get conservation message across
- Barriers to implementing new techniques
- What tools will be effective

**Notes:**
Looking forward, I believe we can improve conservation in the recfish community but first we need to better understand this community
It amazes me that, with more than 10 million saltwater anglers in the U.S. alone, we only have 150,000 members in associations like IGFA, CCA and IBFN.
And I dare say a lot of these members are duplicates.
Given that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these organizations are being supported by less than 1 percent of saltwater anglers.
Recreational fishers want more fish but very few of them are actively participating in anything but fishing itself.
Getting more fish will take the leadership and support of entire community
We must rely on the recfish community leaders to promote conservation.
Fishing Clubs and Associations, Tournament Directors and even Charter Boat operators are essential to getting the conservation message across.
When these leaders recommend, reward or better yet require use of conservation measures the recfish community will get the message.
And we must find ways to build support for these leading organizations.
I would call for a better understanding of the recreational angler and its organizations.
We need to determine how best to get the conservation message across.
We need to determine the barriers to implementing new conservation measures
We need to know what tools will be effective in implementing specific conservation measures

## Conservation Tool Kit

- Peer reviewed science (applicable to local species)
- $$ to support local development of technology
- Respected Expert Endorsements
- Rewarded or Required by Local Club, Tournament
- Case Studies of Impact
- Fishing Association Recommendation
- Recognition and Rewards for Adopting new techniques

**Notes:**
We have a wide range of potentially useful tools that may help to implement conservation practices
Some have been tried but not with overwhelming success
We need to determine which tools will be effective.
I believe that we need to involve leaders in local fishing communities
If we ask what they need to promote a practice they may take ownership and help. 

## A Better Conservation Message

- Blame International Commercial Longliners
- Need:
- Better communications
- Status with Turtles & Seabirds
- Support of RecFish Community Organizations
- What else????
- Recognition for Current Conservation Action

**Notes:**
When we talk to other recreational fisherman the first reaction is we are already doing a lot and have been for years
Having said that they launch into a tirade blaming international longliners for killing by the ton while they are limited to 250 billfish.
It will be difficult to get the recfish community to adopt more aggressive conservation measures without better communicating international progress to reduce commercial bykill of sport fish.
I am pleased to see greater emphasis on improving communications through staffing up the NOAA fisheries office of constituent services
I would also like see NOAA elevate billfish to the same high priority status that turtles and seabird bycatch enjoy.
If we had as much progress in developing and implementing technology internationally to save fish as we do turtles and seabirds we may not have a white marlin problem.
We need to support the RecFish community just as we did the commercial fishery for decades
I believe that actions like these will get the recreational anglers to sit up, take notice and get involved.
What have we done lately for conservation is a high-road response in comparison to pointing the finger at commercial fishing.

## Fishing Best Practices

- Conservation Minded
- Best Way to Fish
- Results in More Fish

**Notes:**
The third action we suggest to move conservation forward is best practices
IBFN has received a lot of inquiries over the years on best fishing practices.
Questions like what is the best way to release the fish at the boat.
What circle hook works best for Atlantic sailfish?
There are a lot of younger and new-to-fishing anglers who want to know the best ways to do things.
Obviously these inquires have an inherent conservation intent.
I would like to see the recfish community come together and offer conservation techniques that we can all promote to our constituencies.

## Education 

- The Public on Oceans
- Best Practices
- Careers in Fisheries & Fishing

**Notes:**
Another action item is education of the next generation of anglers.
I mentioned the high school pilot project earlier.
We hope this proves to be an effective learning tool so that we might expand the program nationwide or internationally.
We are hopeful that you find these actions of interest and worthy of your support.
IBFN needs your input on best practices and the tools for implementing them.
We need to create common conservation messages that we can all promote in our public efforts.
Our door is open for other organizations to participate in our education programs by providing educational content and the self promotion that comes with participation.

## Thank You

- More Information
- ibfn.org
- dean@ibfn.org
- I welcome you thoughts and suggestions
- Thank you for the opportunity to be with you

**Notes:**
Thank you for coming to this event, and to hear our panel discussion.
If you want to learn more about IBFN or the programs I mentioned today, go to ibfn.org.
Or email me
With that, I’ll hand it over to Bob Hayes.