Angler Input Requested for Worldwide Conservation Study

Ever hear of the mahseer? It’s one of the world’s most desirable sport fish. And, oh yeah, it’s also a carp--- or at least a member of the same family. But this is a carp that eats just about anything, including lures and flies. Also, it grows to more than 100 pounds. It is found across southern Asia to Iran.

I recently received a request for assistance from Nishikant Gupta in London who is studying how to best sustain populations of the mahseer. Also, he wants to better understand environmental awareness and conservation support among anglers in general. He is using an online questionnaire to do that, and that is where you can help.

Here is what he said:

“Recreational angling is a leisure activity which has flourished over decades on a global scale. There are many examples which illustrate how this activity has not only provided economic incentives to local communities, but also been pivotal in the protection of certain endangered fish species and their associated habitats.

“To obtain a global perspective on this debate, I am coordinating a questionnaire designed to understand the level of environmental awareness and conservation support within the recreational fishing community. The responses will be analysed and a manuscript discussing the results submitted for publication in an international journal to inform the scientific community, policy makers and the recreational fisheries sector about the current gaps and issues that need to be urgently addressed for global freshwater fish conservation.

“The questionnaire takes no more than five minutes to complete and all respondents will be contributing to an international drive to raise awareness of the conservation benefits of sustainable sport angling worldwide.”

So . . . how about taking a few minutes to help out with this worthwhile project? 

Arkansas, Missouri Anglers, Landowners Beat Back Federal Plan to Control Ozark Fisheries

Photo by Robert Montgomery

Which federal initiative or entity poses the greatest threat to recreational fishing?

Some saltwater advocates will tell you that it’s the National Ocean Council, an unelected body created without Congressional approval and charged by the Obama administration with “zoning” uses of our oceans and coastal waters.

Others point out that the National Park Service has restricted access at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and now is attempting to do the same at Everglades National Park.

But the National Blueways System? What’s that?

We might not have found out until it was too late if not for irate citizens in the Arkansas and Missouri who rebelled against this U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) plan to expand federal control across a vast expanse of Ozark fisheries in the White River watershed, including lakes Table Rock, Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals, as well many world-class smallmouth streams.  A year before, the 410-mile Connecticut River and its 7.2 million-acre drainage basin in Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire quietly became the first entry in this “conservation” plan.

But the stealth strategy didn’t work with the 21,000 square miles of the White River system. Instead, the DOI beat a quiet retreat, concurrent with a query about specifics of the program from Missouri and Arkansas members of Congress to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

“The White River was designated without public comment, without adequate notice, without transparency from the federal government, and without clear evidence of broad public support,” they said. “This is not the way to start a program that is, according to the Department, intended to promote ‘collaboration, communication, and cooperation.’”

Rather than obtaining “broad public support,” DOI was content to garner support from multiple federal and state agencies, as well as a few non-government organizations, including Audubon, Nature Conservancy, and Ducks Unlimited.

“None of them (supporters of the designation) represent or actually are land owners in the area that they want to designate a National Blueway,” said Duane Lester in the Missouri Torch. “In fact, there weren’t many, if any elected officials on the county level who were consulted or even knew about this. The people writing the nomination are completely divorced from the area.”

But the people opposing it weren’t. They were local farmers and other landowners. As word spread and controversy grew, three Arkansas agencies, including the Game and Fish Commission, withdrew their support during a meeting in Little Rock with the Arkansas Senate and House Interim Committees on City, County, and Local Affairs.

“There was a standing room only in the meeting,” said Forrest Wood, founder of Ranger Boats and a former member of the commission. “There was a huge round of applause when each director announced he would withdraw support for the Blueway.”

Along with many others, Wood opposed designation because of concerns about the potential regulatory reach of the program.

Those who wanted the White River watershed included in National Blueways argued that its streams and rivers are fragile and need more protection. They also theorized that inclusion would have included additional funding for conservation programs.

But opponents countered another layer of bureaucracy is not needed on top of the state and federal agencies that already regulate use on and around public waters. Additionally, they feared that access to those waters could be reduced, as the federal government also restricted freedoms of private landowners through inevitable “government creep.”

They based those concerns on the Blueways strategic plan, which includes a 180-foot buffer along all surface water, restricting access into existing floodplains, development of conservation plans for 75 percent of farms in the watershed, and reduction of consumptive use of water on farms by 15 percent.

As someone who lives in the eastern edge of the Missouri Ozarks and sees no good coming from allowing federal bureaucrats authority over state management of our fisheries, I’m especially fond of Lieutenant Gov. Peter Kinder’s letter of opposition to the Blueways designation.

“Missouri’s history is steeped in passionate conservation and reverent respect for our land,” he said.

“We cultivate and farm land touching the Current and Eleven Point River. Our families spend hard-earned vacations boating on Table Rock or camping the shores of Bull Shoals Lake. Generations of Ozarks residents depended and will depend upon the waters that your program seeks to ‘improve.’

“These are deep Missouri traditions that I cannot see threatened by any regulatory attempt by the federal government, no matter how well meaning it presents itself.”

(This article appeared originally in B.A.S.S. Times.)

Gilliland Named to Lead B.A.S.S. Conservation Program

I’m really happy to share the news that Gene Gilliland has been chosen to replace retiring Noreen Clough as National Conservation for B.A.S.S.

Gene is a fisheries biologist and a bass fisherman, as well as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on proper care of fish during tournaments.

I’ve known Gene for decades and believe that B.A.S.S. could not have made a better choice.

Here is the announcement from B.A.S.S.:

Gene Gilliland, a widely respected bass biologist and conservation advocate from Oklahoma, has been named B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director. Gilliland replaces Noreen Clough, the longtime conservation director who retired earlier this month.

“In addition to his extensive experience in fisheries management, Gene has been a leader in the B.A.S.S. Nation, an outdoor journalist, an avid tournament angler and a tireless proponent of youth fishing,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “He is a charter member of B.A.S.S., and he has been involved in the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation program for two decades.

“America’s bass fishermen are fortunate that Gene has accepted our invitation to fill this vital role.”

Gilliland is currently assistant chief of the Fisheries Division of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. He will retire from the department on Dec. 31, 2013, and join B.A.S.S. immediately afterward. Gilliland began work with ODWC in 1982 as a fishery biologist, later rising to regional supervisor and then assistant chief of fisheries in 2010.

Gilliland said he relishes the opportunity to have a positive influence on bass fishing and on its resources.

“Everyone, from the novice angler to the dedicated B.A.S.S. member to the professional at the Bassmaster Elite Series level, has a stake — an obligation — to protect our aquatic resources,” Gilliland said. “Our challenge is to educate them, then motivate them to take action that will make a difference.”

As national conservation director, Gilliland will represent America’s bass anglers on national boards and councils involved in resource conservation. In addition, he will oversee the efforts of the 47 B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors and work to make conservation principles relevant to every B.A.S.S. member. He will also be responsible for maintaining and improving fish care practices on each of the Bassmaster tournament circuits. Gilliland has assisted in fish care at the Bassmaster Classic each year since 1994, including the 2013 Classic in Tulsa, Okla., when 100 percent of the bass weighed in were released alive in Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Gilliland credits Clough as a valuable mentor. “She worked with the B.A.S.S. Nation conservation directors and developed a vision for the conservation program’s future. Personally, she helped me better understand how to navigate government bureaucracy and get things done to improve fishing,” he said. “B.A.S.S. Conservation works with partners on so many levels — local, state, regional and national — to address the threats that our freshwater resources face. One of our biggest challenges will be helping the general public understand that what is good for the fish is good for them, too.”

Gilliland has a B.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Fisheries Biology from Oklahoma State University. He is a coauthor, along with Hal Schramm, of “Keeping Bass Alive, a Guidebook for Tournament Anglers and Organizers.” He is a regular contributor to the “Bass Biology” column in B.A.S.S. Times magazine and has been published in numerous other outdoor publications.

An avid tournament angler since high school, he joined the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters in 1993 and served as the club’s president from 1999 until 2010. He was Oklahoma B.A.S.S. Nation conservation director from 2005 to 2010 and was named Conservation Director of the Year in 2009. He helped incorporate the CastingKids program into boat and tackle show programs in Oklahoma, he helped organize the Oklahoma City Junior Bassmasters club in 2005 and served as the state’s B.A.S.S. Nation youth director in 2007 and 2008.

Gilliland joined B.A.S.S. in 1969 because of its focus on friendly competition, youth fishing and protecting the resource.

“I want to continue the conservation legacy that Ray Scott and the B.A.S.S. conservation directors before me have established,” he said. “B.A.S.S. Conservation has always been a voice for anglers, fighting to preserve and enhance aquatic resources for the future of fishing. I want to make sure that our voice is still heard loud and clear.”

Clough Retires as B.A.S.S. Conservation Director

Noreen Clough will leave behind a firm foundation when she retires as B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director this month.

“We have directors in 47 states and Canada. They are the real story of bass conservation,” she said. “They bring a huge variety of skill sets and do a far greater variety of work today than just habitat improvement.

“They are volunteers who give up some of their fishing time because they are passionate about conservation and fisheries, and the work that they do goes unknown by many.”

The same can be said of Clough, who served as National Conservation Director from 2004 to 2007 and again from 2011 until her retirement. But those who have worked with her do know of her enormous contributions to B.A.S.S. specifically, and fisheries generally.

“Noreen has been a rock and a voice of reason for a lot of important fisheries issues,” said Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). “She will be sorely missed, both as a friend and professionally.”

Todd Gentzel, Colorado’s state director, added that he would have been “in deep trouble dealing with some of these issues,” without Clough’s leadership.

One of the greatest assets that Clough brought to her position was decades of experience in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including as Deputy Assistant Director for Fisheries. In other words, she understood how things are done --- and not done--- in a bureaucracy. That proved invaluable as she partnered with the ASA, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, and other advocacy groups.

“On any issue, Noreen never just criticized,” Robertson said. “She always had a thoughtful solution to offer. That’s a hallmark of high integrity. Anyone can just criticize.”

Clough is the fourth to serve as National Conservation Director since the position was created by former B.A.S.S. CEO Helen Sevier in the early 1990s. A retired fisheries biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Al Mills began the work, building partnerships with state and federal agencies to improve fisheries.

Bruce Shupp followed.  Former fisheries chief for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, he is most remembered for initiating a series of annual workshops about Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV). At these professionally facilitated events, state, federal and university scientists and fisheries biologists shared evolving news and research regarding the virus.

If not for Shupp’s initiative, it’s not unreasonable to believe that panic would have ensued regarding the threat LMBV posed. The result could have been massive restrictions on bass fishing, especially tournaments.

“This was one of the best collaborative processes ever,” said Dave Terre, chief of management and research for Inland Fisheries at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Clough took over in 2004, and then, in 2007, thought that she was ready to enjoy a life of leisure and travel, including fishing in Costa Rica. But her replacement, Chris Horton, moved on to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and she stepped back in.

During her second term, the B.A.S.S. Nation system of state conservation directors has seen a Renaissance of sorts. Today, these volunteers arguably are more knowledgeable and skilled than ever before, and they have made their priorities about much more than trash cleanups and encouraging catch-and-release.  In addition to a variety of habitat work, they are involved legislatively, and, most importantly, they combat unwarranted attempts to restrict access and ban lead fishing tackle.

Not surprisingly, Clough takes none of the credit for this. She attributes their accomplishments to a “huge variety of skill sets” and said that they have become “very sophisticated.”

But state directors beg to differ.

Jim Cardillo, former Pennsylvania director, said she had a unique ability to concentrate the focus of state leaders “into one beam of intense magnitude to overwhelm any obstacle for the betterment and health of the bass we all love to catch.”

And Colorado’s Gentzel added, “She was always there to answer questions, and she worked tirelessly, sending us information and making sure that we stayed on top of issues,” he said. “She brought all of the CDs a lot closer with our conference calls, and she made this a lot easier for all of us. She will be missed greatly.”

Yes, she will.

(This article appeared originally in B.A.S.S. Times.)

Bass Brigade Doing It Right for Texas Youth

Texas is doing it right in terms of educating young anglers about aquatic ecosystems and natural resource management. Most notably, it is doing it through the Bass Brigade, one of several Texas Brigades youth camps. If you live in Texas, you should check out the program, both to see about opportunties for your children and to contribute.

I received the following from Steve Perry, regarding the 2013 Bass Brigade:

"Thank you, Robert, for donating three autographed copies of Why We Fish to this year's Bass Brigade camp!

"During camp, each cadet is required to design a table top, tri-fold display on topics such as aquatic habits, fish species, conservation, fly fishing, fish sampling etc. We awarded your books as prizes for the top tri-folds.

"Thanks for supporting Bass Brigade and our mission of educating teenagers with leadership skills and knowledge in fisheries, and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy."