The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) issued a statement today on the death of former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, who died this week in a plane crash. It's reprinted below in its entirety:
"The American Sportfishing Association extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family of Ted Stevens and to the families of those who were killed or injured in the recent plane crash that took the lives of Mr. Stevens and four others near Dillingham, Alaska.
"Mr. Stevens personified government leadership. Through six decades of public service, he displayed remarkable leadership and an unabashed spirit for the state he represented. Mr. Stevens loved to fish and that passion transcended from a hobby to policy in the 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 Mr. Stevens' 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."
