Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit

Recreational fishing creates treasured opportunities to spend time with family and friends, fosters connections to the natural environment, and provides food for subsistence fishers. It is also a vital engine for the American economy, generating $68 billion in sales and contributing $39 billion to the U.S. GDP.

In 2018, Meridian Institute designed and facilitated the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit, which brought together recreational fishers, scientists, and managers to improve opportunity and stability in recreational fisheries. The event was sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. 

Meridian provided meeting design and facilitation services in support of the Summit. We guided participants through impactful discussions of innovative management alternatives and approaches, angler engagement in data collection and reporting, and recreational fishing opportunities through conservation. Working with a diverse planning team and steering committee, Meridian enabled the recreational fisheries community to identify gaps and actions to improve recreational fisheries management. 

Fostering communication between managers and resource users yielded a variety of useful insights. In particular, participants emphasized the importance of trust building among anglers, managers, and scientists; improving accurate, timely, and useful data collection; and fostering information sharing and learning across regions and sectors.