Partnership for Sustainable Oceans

The Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO) was formed to represent recreational anglers and boaters to ensure they have an organized presence and unified voice in the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. The PSO, which collectively represents nearly one million individual recreational anglers and boaters through their combined membership organizations, has been actively and constructively involved in the MLPA planning and implementation process since the North Central Coast planning phase.

The PSO maintains that all recreational anglers are stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainable fisheries and conservation. Excessive fishing closures could have a significant negative impact on local economies and the opportunity to fish recreationally. Rather than fruitlessly fighting a law that has no chance of being overturned, the PSO is constructively working through the MLPA process to achieve a result that provides the protections outlined in the Act while preserving access to recreational fishing opportunities.

The purpose of pursuing this goal is to:

• Maintain and improve the conservation of California marine fisheries and associated marine resources in order to improve the overall health of the ocean.
• Assure that the process for future closures or designations under the MLPA relies on biological and economic information in a balanced fashion.
• Increase sportfishing opportunities in California from their current economic and participation levels.

The PSO’s efforts are ongoing and include mobilizing and coordinating anglers’ efforts, developing alternative proposals, providing additional science resources, conducting economic impact studies and participating in every MLPA meeting.

PSO members include:

American Sportfishing Association

Contributing members of the Avalon Tuna Club

Berkley Conservation Institute

Coastside Fishing Club

International Game Fish Association

Kayak Fishing Association of California

National Marine Manufacturers Association

NorCal Kayak Anglers

Shimano Sport Fisheries Initiative

Southern California Marine Association

Sportfishing Association of California

United Anglers of Southern California

Watermen's Alliance

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American Sportfishing Association
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. ASA gives the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguards and promotes the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people. For more information on ASA's current conservation work, click here.

Contributing Members of the Avalon Tuna Club
The Avalon Tuna Club, which was the world's first marine conservation organization when it was founded in 1898, fosters sportsmanship and marine angling.

Berkley Conservation Institute
The Berkley Conservation Institute (BCI) is supported by Pure Fishing, a division of Jarden Corporation. BCI was established to support conservation and angler recruitment efforts. BCI cooperates with fishing groups, conservation organizations, consumers and other industry partners to protect the nation’s fishable waters. BCI collaborates to enhance populations of important sportfish and to introduce the next generation of anglers to fishing and to teach them to be conservation leaders.

Coastside Fishing Club
Coastside Fishing Club is a community of recreational anglers who share common goals of improving and conserving our nation’s fisheries and sharing fishing and conservation knowledge with younger generations. For more information on Coastside Fishing Club initiatives to support sustainable fish populations, click here.

International Game Fish Association
The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. It was founded in 1939 and has members in over 125 countries.

Kayak Fishing Association of California
Founded in 2004, the Kayak Fishing Association of California is a volunteer, nonprofit grassroots advocacy group dedicated to preserving and expanding kayak fishing opportunities.

National Marine Manufacturers Association
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the trade association representing the U.S. recreational boating industry. Members include manufacturers of all categories of boats, engines, trailers, electronics, accessories, and components. Fore more information on NMMA's contributions to aquatic stewardship and environmental responsibility, click here.

NorCal Kayak Anglers
The NorCal Kayak Anglers support northern California’s kayak anglers providing information, education and opportunities for fresh and saltwater kayak fishing.

Shimano Sport Fisheries Initiative
As the conservation arm of Shimano North America, the Shimano Sport Fisheries Initiative (SSFI) finances efforts which directly benefit sport fishing in association with the scientific community, conservation organizations, government agencies and fishing tackle retailers. Since 1990 SSFI has been a leader in fishery habitat improvement, scientific research, programs for young anglers, innovations in catch and release fish handling to reduce mortality, government affairs efforts to maintain access to places to fish in salt and fresh water, and angler education programs. For more information on SSFI's efforts to improve and promote sustainable fisheries, click here.

Southern California Marine Association
The Southern California Marine Association is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the recreational boating industry in Southern California.

Sportfishing Association of California
Since 1972, the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC) has been actively involved in the state, federal, and Mexican political arenas, supporting the health of sportfishing and the marine fishery resources on which the sport anglers and boat owners depend. For more information on SAC's fisheries conservation work, click here.

United Anglers of Southern California
United Anglers of Southern California (UASC) is a volunteer driven, non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement of fishery resources through management, conservation and education in order to maximize angling opportunities and pass the sport of fishing onto future generations. For more information on UASC's fisheries conservation programs and projects, click here.

Watermen’s Alliance
The Watermen’s Alliance is a community of divers whose common bond is the mission to provide stewardship of the ocean’s resources. The Watermen’s Alliance believes divers to be among the ocean’s foremost protectors and conservationists and actively seeks to protect divers’ access to ocean resources. The Alliance continually promotes conservation ethics among all ocean users.