Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Establish Formal Partnership to Further Angling Conservation Priorities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), the leading organization for sportsmen and women in the political arena, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), the leading bonefish and tarpon conservation organization in the United States, announced a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a recent meeting of the BTT Board of Directors. This agreement will strengthen CSF and BTT’s relationship to enhance coastal habitats and marine fisheries resources along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines of the United States.

Both CSF and BTT possess resources designed to advance conservation goals that benefit anglers. Establishing a recognized partnership between CSF and BTT at both the state and national level will allow each organization to leverage the other's abilities to further promote science-based aquatic resource management and protect our angling heritage for future generations. CSF and BTT recognize their mutual support for each other's mission, ensuring that both organizations continue to operate on behalf of the nation's anglers, both on the water and in the halls of government.

Through the partnership, BTT conservation staff will work closely with CSF’s policy staff to identify and track legislation that affects aquatic resources and access to fisheries. These conservation and policy experts will leverage the wide reach of both CSF and BTT’s resources.

CSF is committed to working alongside BTT staff and members to champion policies that promote marine fisheries conservation, coastal and estuarine habitat restoration, and angling access to healthy fisheries through legislative and administrative processes at both the state and federal levels.

"BTT continues to be a leader in advancing the science necessary for making informed fisheries management decisions across the Southeast United States and the Caribbean, and we are excited to establish a formal partnership to foster and further the interests of shallow water anglers while advancing key conversation initiatives,” said CSF president and CEO Jeff Crane. "CSF looks forward to strengthening our partnership with BTT and collaborating on conservation policy efforts that are a priority at all levels of government to positively impact saltwater anglers.”

“Success in our mission requires effective collaboration,” says BTT president and CEO Jim McDuffie. “When it comes to the interests of hunters and anglers, CSF is a valued and trusted voice in Congress and in state legislatures across the country. We appreciate this opportunity to work together on conservation policies that will benefit coastal habitats and marine fisheries. BTT brings the full commitment of our organization to the partnership and looks forward to all that can be accomplished for saltwater species and the anglers who pursue them.”

CSF and BTT look forward to collaborating in support of a long-term strategy that delivers successful outcomes for anglers. CSF will continue to identify relevant policy priorities and pursue opportunities to engage BTT staff and members in support of our shared angling heritage.

Pictured left to right: Dan Berger, Chair, BTT Government Affairs Committee; Jim McDuffie, BTT president and CEO; Jeff Crane, CSF president and CEO; Carl Navarre, BTT Board Chair; Bill Horn, BTT Vice Chair.

About Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

Since 1989, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted sportsmen's organization in the political arena. CSF's mission is to work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. The unique and collective force of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen's Caucus (GSC) and the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC), working closely with CSF, and with the support of major hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping organizations, serves as an unprecedented network of pro-sportsmen elected officials that advance the interests of America's hunters and anglers.

About Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

BTT’s mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon and permit—the species, their habitats, and the fisheries they comprise. Founded in 1997, BTT pursues its mission through science-based conservation initiatives, advocacy, and education across the Southeastern United States and Caribbean Basin, from the Bahamas to the Yucatan. BTT’s science-based approaches have resulted in improved fishery management in multiple states and international locations, the restoration and conservation of vital flats habitats, and many new discoveries that will inform future conservation actions. BTT’s work in this regard is amplified by a team of Research Fellows and collaborating scientists from leading universities across the country, who conduct research on grants awarded by the organization. This record of accomplishment distinguishes BTT as a global leader in the conservation of flats species and their habitats.

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