Rick Crawford
There are three main threats our fisheries face today, which are: (Bad) Policy, (Over) Population and Pollution (GHG emissions, plastic, etc.), and if you have been following our blog and social media channels the last few weeks we have been focusing heavily on the plastic pollution problem as well as overpopulation because they are both threatening fisheries around the world and we want to protect what we love. Speaking of fisheries around the world, there aren’t many people who have had the opportunity to experience as many fisheries as Jim Klug.
Jim is the Founder and Director of Operations for Bozeman, Montana-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, and Yellow Dog’s mission is “to help provide you with the fishing trip of a lifetime” and they can do exactly that by offering fishing trips all around the world. However, Yellow Dog isn’t just about providing you with the fishing trip of a lifetime, they are also committed to conservation. In fact, they started the Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Fund (YDCCF) that funds important community and conservation work in 21 countries and 10 U.S. states that is making a serious positive impact for communities and fisheries globally! For example, take a look at their 2017 Grantees! In addition to Yellow Dog, Klug is also the co-founder and executive producer for Confluence Films, which has produced some of my all-time favorite fishing movies, including: DRIFT, RISE, CONNECT, WAYPOINTS and PROVIDENCE and is also an excellent photographer (www.klugphotos.com) and even has an amazing book called Fly Fishing Belize which currently resides on my coffee table.
In my opinion, Klug has arguably one of the coolest jobs on the planet and having traveled and fished some of the most remote destinations around the world, Jim brings a unique perspective to just how serious the plastic pollution problem really is. I would like to thank Jim for taking the time to be interviewed for The Sustainable Angler and also for the amazing work the YDCCF is doing to not only protect what we all love, but also helping communities in need.
Tell me a little bit about yourself….
I started working in the fly fishing industry at 14 and have done everything from guiding, being a sales rep, travel coordinator and was even the National Sales Manager of Scientific Anglers. I guided pretty extensively in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon, and have had the good fortune to have fished over 35 different countries.
I founded Yellow Dog in 1999 and I am proud to say that we are now one of the largest and most recognized entities in sporting travel. I spend a lot of time scouting and researching destinations in the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Indian Ocean, but I love living in Bozeman, Montana with my wife Hilary and kids Carson, Finn and Gus.
I know you founded the Yellow Dog Community & Conservation Fund. Can you tell me more about the YDCCF?
Yellow Dog has always given back to the lodges where it operates, but we founded the YD Community and Conservation Fund to give back in more meaningful ways. The YDCCF not only helps to create jobs for the communities we operate, but also gives back to the community. One example that comes to mind is that we have provided much-needed lap tops at grade schools and all of these efforts trickle down in the communities that host Yellow Dog guests. YDCCF also helps to support local conservation efforts with its lodge matching fund, which enables its clients to donate directly to the lodges. So by donating $50 in your name to the YDCCF another $50 will be donated to the lodge to support the local community. Another example I am really proud of is through the YDFCC we were able to donate $10,000 to Punta Allen to rebuild bathrooms for the school children because they were unsanitary. It’s something we may take for granted, but those bathrooms were really in disrepair, so it really meant a lot to give back to a community that means so much to me personally and to our business.
You have traveled around the world and seen more than most. What are the greatest environmental threats you see to fisheries around the world?
Some of the greatest environmental threats to fisheries are overfishing and plastic pollution. Even in remote and off grid locations that don’t have a high population density, the fisheries are being depleted because there are people who rely on the fishery to feed their families and is their main source of protein, but when combined with commercial fishing operations the stocks get hammered and are declining. As worldwide population increases, so does the demand, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
For example, consider what has happened in the Seychelles. Their fisheries are in better shape now than they were 20 years ago because they understand that the fishery is an economic resource that provides jobs and because of that the conservation regulations are enforced.
Even in a place as remote as Cosmoledo, plastics like flip flops and lots of other single-use plastics are littering the beaches. It’s not just an eye-sore. Plastics are non-biodegradable and when they break down into microplastics they are being absorbed by marine life and have now entered our own food chain as we consume the fish. This really tragic and is a direct threat to not only our business, but the lodges we work with around the world.
I am also concerned about the impact plastic pollution will have on my children and future generations who are growing up in a world where single-use plastics are the norm. On a personal note, we do everything we can to refuse single-use plastics in our household. For example, we stopped buying bottled water and everyone has a reusable water bottle and we use reusable coffee cups, which makes an impact.
Do you educate your customers on plastic pollution while fishing?
Yellow Dog is working with Costa and its Kick Plastic campaign to educate and create more awareness about plastic pollution. Peter Vandergrift of Costa has done a lot to spread the word about Kick Plastic at the lodges where we operate, especially related to plastic bottles.
I mean, just consider the impact of eliminating plastic water bottles from a lodges operations who are hosting 12 clients who drink 15 water bottles per day and they are fully booked 27 weeks out of the year and that’s 2,835 bottles just for one lodge!
The impact of kicking single-use plastics is massive.
What are some of your favorite brands doing to address plastic pollution?
As I just mentioned we are working with Costa and their Kick Plastic campaign, but they are taking things one step further by minimizing plastics in their packaging, but also in the materials used to manufacture their frames using bioresins instead of plastic. Also, YETI is now manufacturing metal water bottles and other reusable cups that make it easy for everyone to kick plastic. I love the fly fishing industry and how brands are working towards eliminating plastics from their packaging, but also providing tangible solutions with their products and using their businesses as platforms to educate and create more awareness.
What are some of the lodges you work with doing to address plastic pollution?
An awesome success story is Alphonse Fishing Company in the Seychelles that made the decision to eliminate plastic bottles from its operation. They collect rainwater and they also desalinate the water, purify it and then use YETI reusable cups, which has really made a tremendous impact. This is even more inspiring when you consider how remote the lodges with Alphonse Fishing Company are, so if they can do it, anyone can!
What is something you wish more anglers knew about plastic pollution?
I wish anglers understood that every piece of plastic ever created is still in our ecosystem and its becoming increasingly difficult to find pristine locations where there isn’t plastic.
Plastic pollution has become so widespread that even on the most remote beach locations, the beaches are littered with plastic. And the fact that it is harming marine life. I mean I recently saw a sea turtle digging its nest and it was literally tossing plastic in the air. Plastic is everywhere! We can all do our part and I am thrilled to be part of the solution by working with our lodges to kick plastic!
Take Action
Thanks for your insight and taking the time to be interviewed for The Sustainable Angler! I love learning about what others are doing to make a positive impact and the YDCCF is doing some amazing work. If you have the means, please consider making a donation to the Yellow Dog Community & Conservation Fund by clicking HERE. Also, if you are interested in booking the fly fishing trip of a lifetime, book with Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures by clicking HERE.
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Looking to make a positive impact today? Here are 5 Things You Can Do to Refuse Single-Use Plastics from your everyday life:
- Buy a reusable water bottle and coffee mug to eliminate plastic bottles and throw-away coffee cups.
- Keep a pair of utensils in your car to avoid single-use plastic utensils.
- Get yourself a couple of metal and/or glass straws, or simply sip your drink, to refuse single-use straws.
- Keep reusable shopping bags in your car so you don’t need single-use plastic bags, which can usually be bought at your local grocery store.
- Purchase a bamboo toothbrush, which is a rapidly renewable material and keeps plastics out of our oceans and landfills.
Also, consider volunteering with a local nonprofit in your local community for a beach sweep or river clean up because plastic pollution is everyone’s problem. Finally, if you are booking a trip at a lodge, ask them what they are doing to kick plastic!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned as a new “The Sustainable Angler” will be out next month, and in the meantime, sign up for our monthly Newsletter for more information about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle and run a more sustainable business!
