[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 20, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF MIKE NUSSMAN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE AMERICAN 
                        SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 20, 2018

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, sportfishing provides outdoor recreation 
for more than 47 million Americans each year. In Virginia, we are 
blessed with some of the best fishing opportunities in the nation. From 
fishing for striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay, to fly fishing for 
trout in the Blue Ridge, to throwing beetle spins for smallmouth bass 
on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, to chasing Cobia and Tuna off 
Virginia Beach--we have great waters and angling throughout our state. 
Fishing provides opportunities for youth and families to get into the 
great outdoors and enjoy our public lands and waters.
  Like many outdoor industries, sportfishing is often overlooked as a 
significant job generator and economic engine. Nationwide, it is 
estimated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that recreational 
fishing generates $48 billion in retail sales, $115 billion in total 
economic activity and 828,000 jobs.
  I should note that in 2016 Congress passed the Outdoor Recreation 
Jobs and Economic Impact Act--The REC Act. In 2018, for the first time 
the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis included 
outdoor recreation's impact, including fishing and boating, in our 
nation's Gross Domestic Product.
  Maybe the most important aspect of recreational fishing is that 
sportfishing manufacturers, anglers and boaters pay for most of state 
fish and wildlife agencies fisheries conservation and boating programs.
  Through special federal excise and fishing license sales, anglers and 
boaters are providing more than $1.2 billion a year in funds that are 
allocated to the states. As a member of our Committee on Natural 
Resources, I'm well aware that sportsmen and women pay a large part of 
the bill rather than the U.S. Treasury.
  Much of the this is due to the leadership of J. Michael ``Mike'' 
Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association 
(ASA), the trade association that represents the recreational fishing 
industry.
  Since 1993, Mike has served with distinction first as head of ASA's 
Government Affairs program then as President and CEO. While ASA has 
been a trade association since 1933, it has really been in the past 25 
years that the organization has assumed a leadership role for not only 
manufacturers of rods, reels, lures, flies, waders and related apparel, 
but now for the overall fishing community. I might note with some pride 
that ASA is headquartered in Alexandria, VA.
  With the leadership of former House members such as John Dingell and 
John Breaux and with the support of ASA, the excise taxes I mentioned 
have been expanded to cover programs such as wetlands restoration, 
boating safety and infrastructure and the establishment of the 
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF).
  In fact, Mike Nussman lead the effort to establish RBFF to turn 
around a decline in recreational fishing which started to appear in the 
1990s. The most recent USFWS data indicates an upward trend in 
recreational fishing including more diverse and urban communities.
  Mike Nussman's success should come as no surprise. He worked for the 
Commerce Committee and Chairman Fritz Hollings of South Carolina over 
in the other body. Mike was the lead professional staff for the 
Subcommittee that oversees fisheries policy, NOAA and the Coast Guard. 
Prior to that he worked for the South Carolina Sea Grant program, 
earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, and an MBA from 
the University of South Carolina.
  Mr. Nussman's tenure at ASA improved the `business side' of his trade 
association. The sportfishing industry's annual trade show is now the 
largest in the world. His leadership made the organization financially 
strong, helping weather it through economic downturns.
  He has served on numerous boards of directors and advisory groups 
from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, to Blue Ribbon 
Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources. He 
also found time to serve as a United States Commissioner on the 
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
  Mike Nussman bought special expertise as a former Senate staffer to 
the recreational fishing industry and the conservation community. So, I 
think it's appropriate that he be recognized today for a job well done. 
Anglers and businesses across this nation can be thankful that he was 
at the helm.

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