Boating Industry

May 2017

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INDUSTRY NEWS www.BoatingIndustry.com May 2017 | Boating Industry | 9 Fishing, boating advocates praise Modern Fish Act A coalition of recreational boating and fishing associations praised the introduction of a bill that addresses critical challenges facing salt- water recreational fishing at the federal level. Led by Congressmen Garret Graves (R- La.), Gene Green (D-Texas), Daniel Web- ster (R-Fla.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the "Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Man- agement Act of 2017" (Modern Fish Act) would improve public access to America's federal waters, promote conservation of natural marine resources and spur economic growth, the groups said in a statement. The coalition of groups supporting the Modern Fish Act includes American Sport- fishing Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy, Coastal Conservation Association, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Interna- tional Game Fish Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Rec- reational Fishing Alliance, The Billfish Foundation and Theodore Roosevelt Con- servation Partnership. "On behalf of America's 11 million saltwater anglers, we thank Congressmen Graves, Green, Webster and Wittman for championing this legislation to modernize federal recreational fishing management," said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. "For decades, the recreational fishing community has been subjected to antiquated federal policies not designed to manage recreational fishing. The time is now to update these policies so families can fully enjoy our nation's remark- able marine resources and continue a proud American tradition on the water." The Modern Fish Act addresses many of the recreational fishing community's priorities including allowing alternative management for recreational fishing, reexamining fisheries allocations, smartly rebuilding fishery stocks, establishing exemptions where annual catch limits don't fit and improving recreational data collection. The bill aims to benefit fish- ing access and conservation by incorporating modern management approaches, science and technology to guide decision-making. "We applaud the introduction of the Modern Fish Act in the House and the efforts of Rep. Graves and his colleagues to modern- ize the federal regulations governing access to the public's natural resources by boaters and anglers," said NMMA President Thom Dammrich. "We appreciate the Congress- men's support for better management of our recreational fisheries that will bring federal management into the 21st century." "Getting more Americans outdoors and enjoying our wonderful natural treasures, including in saltwater spaces, requires updat- ing and modernizing federal management approaches," said Mike Nussman, president of the American Sportfishing Association. "The Modern Fish Act addresses the core issues within federal saltwater fisheries man- agement that are limiting the public's ability to enjoy saltwater recreational fishing, and will help maximize the economic, social and conservation benefits that recreational fishing provides to the nation." Torqeedo names Marcia Kull president Marcia Kull has been named president of Torqeedo Group, Inc., and will direct global sales and strat- egy for the electric marine propulsion company. Kull will oversee Torqeedo's growth activities in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. The newly created position is an expansion of the cur- rent management team. Kull joins Torqeedo from Volvo Penta of the Americas, where she was most recently vice president, marine sales. Serving in this role since 2011, she led the sales teams in the recreational and commercial marine segments for Canada, the United States, Mexico, Cen- tral America and the Caribbean. She joined Volvo Penta in 2005 and served as the com- pany's general counsel and vice president of dealer and consumer relations. Prior to joining Volvo Penta, she was senior vice president of operations for Genmar Holdings. Kull spent her early career as a partner in trial law firm Bowman & Brooke representing boat and en- gine manufacturers. Kull is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Iowa. Kull is currently a member of the NMMA board of directors and the executive commit- tee of the board of directors, and serves as chairwoman of the NMMA Engine Manu- facturers Division board of directors. She has held leadership positions within the ABYC and IMCI, and was appointed by the Secre- tary of Homeland Security to serve on the National Boating Safety Advisory Council. In 2016, she was honored as one of the Top 100 Women in Manufacturing by The Manufac- turing Institute, and was named the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year in 2007. Torqeedo CEO Christoph Ballin said, "The story of Torqeedo is a story of excep- tional people, dedicated to boating and to sustainability. In Marcia, we've found an ex- ceptional leader who will help us to shape the next phase of our company's development. She brings to the job proven leadership, broad experience in the marine industry, and a vi- sion for environmentally friendly technology." Brunswick closing Brazil Bayliner, Sea Ray factory Brunswick Corporation will end its manu- facturing operations in Joinville, Santa Ca- tarina, Brazil, as it prepares to close the facility. The operation manufactures cer- tain Bayliner and Sea Ray boat models for the South American market. Moving forward, this demand will be fulfilled through Brunswick's remaining global boat manufacturing footprint, the company said. "The region's continued weak economy has made it difficult to profitably serve these markets with a dedicated manufacturing facil- ity," said Huw Bower, president – Brunswick Boat Group. "With our existing commercial infrastructure and channel presence, we can re- turn to our previous model of importing boats to the region to more efficiently and effectively fulfill demand to this important market."

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