Rick Crawford
Trout Unlimited just released their Climate Change Survey and the results are clear. If you are in the fly fishing industry, your customers care about the climate change impact on trout. What’s also clear is that anglers want climate action. Here are the results:
- “More than 85 percent of TU member respondents think climate change is either caused by humans or is the result of a natural cycle intensified by human activity. This is up from 64 percent in 2014 and 77 percent in 2017.
- About 80 percent of members expect that climate change will lead to extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, severe storms and degraded coldwater habitat.
- Over 40 percent have recently noticed a decline in their fishing experience.
- Members support a wide range of steps our country can do to mitigate climate change, but only 77 percent of respondents were familiar with TU’s position and national activities around climate change, suggesting that we have some work to do in building support for legislation to address the problem.
- Members trust national TU staff (88 percent) and TU scientists (89 percent) above other sources when seeking climate change information.“
So, if anglers care about the impact climate change is having on coldwater species, then it seems to make sense that our government needs to take action by implementing policies that address climate change. It also makes sense that businesses who are dependent on a healthy habitats and fisheries should also take action on climate.
The good news is that Emerger Strategies recently formed the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance which is made up of guides, shops, lodges and brands who are making a commitment to go Carbon Neutral by 2030 because it’s our responsibility to solve the climate crisis so that we can save the planet, the fish and our businesses!
If you’d like to join the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, please email rcrawford@emergerstrategies.com to join the fight and be part of the solution!
