The American Sportfishing Association spoke the sentiments of the majority of recreational anglers in a statement of sympathy to the family of Ted Stevens who was killed August 9 in a plane crash near Dillingham, Alaska. Through six decades of public service, Stevens displayed leadership and an unabashed spirit for the state he represented. Stevens loved to fish, a passion he carried with him to Congress. His political career was marked by decades of commitment to the nation’s natural resources, most specifically for the Act that carries his name, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law governing management of our nation’s marine fisheries first passed in 1976.
In recognition of Steven’s accomplishments and unwavering support of recreational fishing he was awarded the American Sportfishing Association’s Congressional Leadership award in June 2007.The recreational fishing and boating community has lost a true champion and friend in Ted Stevens. His accomplishments were many and his smile and force will be missed.
