Mission Statement

“To ensure American public access to fishing, to engage and represent the Federal For-hire fishing industry, and to ensure long-term sustainability of our fisheries.”

Fore Words

This industry needs focused direction so it can continue to provide long term access for recreational anglers to our nation's resources. For the most part, the Charter for Hire industry has been made up of individual men and women who have the love and desire to be working on the water. People who loved the independence and have had the maverick attitude to do things their own way, on their own schedule and without anyone telling them what they can or cannot do. It was the freedom to be your own boss and go out and conquer Mother Nature and the world on their own terms.This existence and attitude has served us all well in the past but now times have changed.

Unfortunately, a few decades back, we found ourselves behind the eight ball and, as an industry, have not kept up to make those changes work to our advantage, or at least prevent those changes from diminishing our ability to have great success doing what we do best. It has been this underlying independent spirit that seems to have interfered with us from being organized and committed to any causes in the past. Only now in the last few years has there been concerted movement to come together and address some of the issues that threaten our industry with more involvement from a bigger variety of fisherman involved. Below are the missions before us. It will take a strong, dedicated and hardworking organization to bring these missions to success.

GOALS

1) To ensure American public access to fishing- Our board and membership are actively involved in development of regulations, policies and management idea that increase access to the fishery while also protecting the fishery over the long-term so future generations will have the same opportunity. 

2) To engage and represent the charter for hire industry- Regardless of your opinion or level of understanding, we want to hear your story and ideas. Although we may not always agree, our organization strives to find common ground and work together whenever possible. Our Board of Directors are readily accessible and stay engaged with fishermen as often as possible. In addition to serving as leadership to an industry, we all also run full time fishing businesses as well.

3) To ensure the long-term sustainability of our fisheries- This is a never ending mission, but certainly worthwhile. We work diligently with regulators and policy makers as well as stakeholders from every portion of the fishermen to promote sound, scientific based management that protects our fishery resources while also allowing for an enjoyable fishing experience for generations to come.

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Summary

The missions above are some issues that can be addressed in the immediate future and some will take years to accomplish. We have to continue to be internal optimists. Federal fisheries and the process in which they are changed is glacially slow. The Board of Directors are constantly engaging and looking at all angles on how to preserve, steward, and provide access not just for the American anglers that rely on our ability to access a robust fishery, but no less our way of life and the ability to have a productive thriving business. 

This requires a thriving fishery to maintain. That requires proper management and the base of all that is accurate data collection. Identifying problems, finding paths to solutions, and implementing fishery management plans that better our access and preserve our way of life is the overall goal of the Charter Fishermans Association.