The underpinnings of every successful partnership will begin by clearly and realistically identifying the common goals and objectives for a fishery of interest, and communicating the cost of attaining those realistic goals. Furthermore, long term successful management of a fishery will not only depend upon how well we can temper current users and non-users beliefs about the biological realism of the fishery in question, but also on how well we can educate future users about resource management and aquatic ecosystem structure and function. That means we must target youth and urban education and outreach programs as a fundamental component of our fisheries management tools for the future. Since 1950, the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program has been providing dedicated funding to state fish and wildlife agencies, through excise taxes on fishing equipment, to manage fisheries, habitats and access to provide healthy natural resources and fishing opportunities to citizens. The education programs, some of which have been running for twelve years, are designed to meet to individual state needs and cover such topics as fisheries ecology and management, fishing skills and ethics, watersheds, water quality, wetlands and aquatic ecology.
Programs emphasize hands-on learning and stewardship.
In 1997, the Fish and Wildlife Service introduced a definition and guidance for states on outreach that focuses on the benefits of the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration programs. A separate national initiative with the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council is focusing on increasing participation in fishing and boating. Today, you can hear a lot of people saying that the solutions to our fisheries management problems, complex as they may be, is to educate the public. What many fisheries staff don't realize is that each of these elements have small differences that define them and when they are the correct tool to use. Some points that help characterize these elements is to what level does the effort contain facts, which ones are based in values, does the effort engage and motivate, or is it a service.