07-24-2009, 12:10 AM
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - More than 10,000 people have taken the Recycled Fish Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge since 2007 and their lives, and our waters, are better for it. People who love to fish take the Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge and get a free membership to Recycled Fish, a non-profit organization that encourages anglers to practice stewardship both on and off the water, 'because our lifestyle runs downstream.' A recent member survey shows this pledge is making a big impact.
The survey findings reveal that taking the pledge and joining Recycled Fish results in better educated anglers. Over 92 percent of members say they've learned more about what living a "lifestyle of stewardship" means since joining Recycled Fish. Members move beyond just catch and release, gaining knowledge about what else they can do to help our waters be able to produce more and bigger fish.
"80 percent of anglers now release most or all of their catch, most or all of the time" says Teeg Stouffer, Executive Director of Recycled Fish. "We want to catch more and bigger fish, so at Recycled Fish, we're expanding the message to include an entire lifestyle change that will have the same results. Whether it's switching to a low-flow shower head or changing the way we take care of our lawns, it all matters to the health of our fisheries - and whether we catch more and bigger fish - because our lifestyle runs downstream."
That knowledge is resulting in action. More than 65 percent of members say they have altered habits and decisions to more effectively live a lifestyle of stewardship.
Most importantly, more than 90 percent of survey respondents say their membership makes them part of something larger than themselves. "We advance the Stewardship Ethic by creating a movement of anglers - people who have a passion for healthy waters - and activating that passion," says Stouffer.
Engage. Educate. Equip. This is what Recycled Fish set out to do with the Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge, and it's working. The Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge is free, and through the end of July, anglers who do so also have a shot at winning a Frabill Conservation Series net. For an optional $25 annual donation, anglers receive a Premium Membership including an array of gifts including a Recycled Fish T-shirt. The Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge is one click away at www.RecycledFish.org/StewardshipPledge.
Live events help to spread the message, including the national 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon on September 18 & 19, 2009. Get details or get involved at www.recycledfish.org/FishAThon. Other tools, such as the weekly Stewardship Tip e-mail, live Angler Appreciation Night events, the SAFE Angling initiative and other Recycled Fish programs are leading anglers to see themselves as not just sportsmen, but stewards of their environment.
Media Contact<br />
Teeg Stouffer, Recycled Fish (712) 256-4907 or fishrecycler@recycledfish.org
The survey findings reveal that taking the pledge and joining Recycled Fish results in better educated anglers. Over 92 percent of members say they've learned more about what living a "lifestyle of stewardship" means since joining Recycled Fish. Members move beyond just catch and release, gaining knowledge about what else they can do to help our waters be able to produce more and bigger fish.
"80 percent of anglers now release most or all of their catch, most or all of the time" says Teeg Stouffer, Executive Director of Recycled Fish. "We want to catch more and bigger fish, so at Recycled Fish, we're expanding the message to include an entire lifestyle change that will have the same results. Whether it's switching to a low-flow shower head or changing the way we take care of our lawns, it all matters to the health of our fisheries - and whether we catch more and bigger fish - because our lifestyle runs downstream."
That knowledge is resulting in action. More than 65 percent of members say they have altered habits and decisions to more effectively live a lifestyle of stewardship.
Most importantly, more than 90 percent of survey respondents say their membership makes them part of something larger than themselves. "We advance the Stewardship Ethic by creating a movement of anglers - people who have a passion for healthy waters - and activating that passion," says Stouffer.
Engage. Educate. Equip. This is what Recycled Fish set out to do with the Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge, and it's working. The Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge is free, and through the end of July, anglers who do so also have a shot at winning a Frabill Conservation Series net. For an optional $25 annual donation, anglers receive a Premium Membership including an array of gifts including a Recycled Fish T-shirt. The Sportsman's Stewardship Pledge is one click away at www.RecycledFish.org/StewardshipPledge.
Live events help to spread the message, including the national 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon on September 18 & 19, 2009. Get details or get involved at www.recycledfish.org/FishAThon. Other tools, such as the weekly Stewardship Tip e-mail, live Angler Appreciation Night events, the SAFE Angling initiative and other Recycled Fish programs are leading anglers to see themselves as not just sportsmen, but stewards of their environment.
Media Contact<br />
Teeg Stouffer, Recycled Fish (712) 256-4907 or fishrecycler@recycledfish.org