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First Coast Christian Club Cleanup efforts at the Mandarin
Park in Jacksonville, Florida
The BASS Conservation
Taking a leadership role in aquatic resources issues
Belonging to BASS, the "Worldwide Leader in Bass Fishing," means
much more than membership in a global club of bass anglers. Since
the early 1970s, BASS has taken a proactive response to addressing
the nation's vital aquatic resource issues. In the early years,
it meant taking legal action against industries making a toxic
soup of the nation's waterways. Today, the agenda has grown more
complex, and BASS follows a parallel path in dealing with the issues
through its Conservation Program.
The backbone of the organization is founded on a grass-roots core
of members whose passion extends beyond bass fishing. These men
and women, young and old, belong to BASS Federation clubs nationwide.
They are environmental stewards always on the lookout for issues
that have local and even national significance.
The BASS Conservation Program works a "top down" to "bottom
up" approach in dealing with six key, fundamental issues vital
to the future health of the nation's aquatic resources. From local
bass clubs to the national level, where BASS works cooperatively
with government to develop sound management policy, the protection
and enhancement of aquatic resources will remain a top priority.
Habitat
Simply put, habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate. And without
habitat the future of recreational angling and a vital link to
the aquatic food chain will be lost. The issues are complex: erosion,
sedimentation and reservoir aging. Yet, there is hope and BASS
Conservation has taken a leadership role in the federal government's
National Fish Habitat Initiative. At the national level, BASS is
proactively involved with federal and state government to enact
laws to end the losses while making room for habitat restoration
and growth. The habitat agenda is pushed up from the local level
through the grass-roots network of BASS Federation clubs.
Aquatic nuisance species
An aquarium owner dumps unwanted fish and plants into the local
river, no harm intended. A freighter from overseas pumps ballast
water into the Great Lakes, unknowingly setting free harmful fish
and organisms. Both scenarios are very real and threaten to destroy
or imperil the balance of aquatic ecosystems the size of the Great
Lakes, Mississippi River and beyond. As the problem spreads, BASS
Conservation has joined a growing coalition of concerned policy
makers, government agencies and scientists to regulate importation
of exotics and stop their illegal introduction to the nation's
waters.
Aquatic vegetation management
Hydrilla and milfoil are unjustly perceived by many sportsmen
as ideal habitat for fish and waterfowl. In moderate quantities
the plants indeed provide habitat, however when overabundant they
become a nuisance to other water users, from boaters to lakeshore
homeowners and even municipal drinking water suppliers. BASS Conservation
advocates and facilitates mediation between all user groups while
encouraging stakeholders to establish diverse native plant communities.
Ideally, striking the balance will benefit ecosystems and users
alike.
Angler access
A fishing trip begins with a place to launch the boat or shoreline
to cast a line. Yet access to public waterways has suffered. And
finding a boat ramp is the least of the problems. Demands on water
supplies, restrictive fishery management regulations on fishing
seasons, and horsepower limitations merely scratch the surface
of why anglers can't rightfully gain access to public waters. Through
a grass-roots approach with bass clubs affiliated with the BASS
Federation, angler and boater rights are being heard. The cause
is ongoing, with the Federation and BASS Conservation collectively
uniting to open more access areas through improvement and construction
programs at public access areas nationwide.
Fish health
At the first outbreak of the Largemouth Bass Virus, BASS Conservation
adopted a leadership role to face the issue. The result is an annual
summit attended by leading researchers, state fishery biologists
and anglers to exchange developments and implement plans of action.
BASS and its coalition continue making strides to deal with LMBV
while identifying other diseases or health problems, among those
outbreaks of harmful algae and bacteria that can spark significant
fish kills. BASS Conservation is an active participant in American
Fisheries Society committees and other professional associations
whose interests focus on fishery health.
Tournament fish care
Early on, BASS recognized that bass are a renewable resource and
concurrently, developed the catch-and-release ethic that is standard
with tournaments. BASS Conservation continues raising the bar on
the practice by supporting scientific research studies focusing
on care of tournament-caught bass. The latest practices and improvements
are rolled out through the BASS Federation while educating anglers
about how to better handle fish they intend to release. BASS Conservation
extends its outreach to the general angling public to ensure a
positive perception of bass fishing and tournament angling.
BASS is more
When you join BASS, you get more than just a magazine and a membership
card. You are supporting over thirty years of natural resource
conservation. Devoted to the challenges that lie ahead, BASS continues
to work on behalf of our members and the aquatic resources we all
value.
Partner links
• American Sportfishing Association
• Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
• American Fisheries Society
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
• Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation |
