The successful fight to stop Alaska’s Pebble Mine is one example of how the fly fishing industry adds its weight to important fisheries conservation efforts.
As part of Confluence, held in Salt Lake City, September 26-28, AFF organized a panel discussion on Industry Collaboration & Conservation Impact. Sponsored by Simms Fishing Products and moderated by Diane Bristol, Simms Vice President, Culture and Community, the discussion examined how industry collaboration with conservation partners leads to better results, how conservation benefits when industry competitors come together for the greater good, and how conservation benefits when non-profit organizations join together as partners rather than competitors.
Panelists Benny Blanco and Chris Wittman, Captains for Clean Water; Sascha Clark Danylchuck, Keep Fish Wet; Steve Moyer, Trout Unlimited’s VP for Government Affairs (recently retired); and Whitney Tilt, AFF’s Executive Director each shared their experience with the fly fishing industry getting involved in fisheries conservation. In addition, the discussion greatly benefited from the audience which included members of industry and conservation groups, as well as representatives from NOAA.
Panelists highlighted the obvious benefits of increased funding, beefed up marketing clout, and expanded outreach. They also noted that industry brands and conservation groups standing together increased the overall visibility of the conservation project, making it easier to solicit additional partners and funding. It was also noted that state and federal management agencies, as well as elected officials, pay more attention to a conservation issue when they see industry and conservation interests standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The panel noted a number of successful industry behaviors including a company’s strong conservation ethos (as compared with a primary interest in simply increasing sales or market share), a company’s interest in widening the partnership among the industry (rather than make it exclusive), the durability of the relationship (more than a one-off donation or short-term fad), and the need for the company’s commitment to extend all the way to the top executives.
Discussions also explored some challenges common to many conservation efforts including the fact that it’s one thing to rally support around an issue where it’s all hands on deck now (for example, Captains for Clean Water’s success in rallying guides to travel to Tallahassee to oppose SB 2508) versus sustaining a high level of interest and support when the conservation issue extends out over years. There are successes to celebrate (e.g., Alaska’s Pebble Mine, Maine’s Penobscot Bay, and dam removals on the Klamath in California) but many remain (e.g., continued threats to Florida Bay, WOTUS definition, and continued threats to Bristol Bay). Other observations emerging from the discussion included the need to get the entire sport fishing community on the same page and the need for all of us to be better trained as advocates.