Dr. Jane Lubchenco acknowledged their collective voice at the American Sportfishing Association's Sportfishing Summit on Oct. 27 in San Diego. Lubchenco is Undersecretary of Commerce and administrator of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, as well as one of the "senior policy-level officials" charged by President Barack Obama with developing a management policy for the nation's "oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes." "As NOAA's administrator, I am committed to adopting policies that will ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful activity," Lubchenco said.

"We are responding to the concerns expressed by your leaders that we don't pay enough attention to recreational fishing. I'm here to tell you that we do think you are important, that we will pay attention, and that we will work with you. It is my intention to improve our relationship."

"I look forward to a new era of cooperative relations between NOAA and anglers across the country."

Since Obama organized the task force in June, angling advocates have feared that preservationists and environmental organizations, along with their allies in the Obama administration, will use this opportunity to orchestrate an aggressive campaign to close public waters to recreational angling. With the Great Lakes included in the directive, they could provide an opening for federal management — and closures to recreational fishing — on inland lakes and rivers as well.

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