Co-Owner of Puerto Rican Online Aquarium Business Pleads Guilty to Two Lacey Act Felonies and Export Smuggling for Illicit Trafficking of Protected Reef Creatures

11/09/2020 12:00 AM EST

A resident of San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today to export smuggling and two felony violations of the Lacey Act for collecting, purchasing, falsely labeling, and shipping protected marine invertebrate species as part of an effort to subvert Puerto Rican law designed to protect corals and other reef species, the Department of Justice announced.

To view and apply for FWS positions, please click here: FWS Vacancy Announcements. If you have a question about a specific position vacancy, please contact the Human Resources point of contact listed at the bottom of the announcement.

For more information about FWS careers and available internship opportunities, please visit our FWS Recruitment Opportunities page. You can also explore and learn more about the careers we have at FWS and others within the Department of the Interior by clicking here.

Use this link to download the new AREA Board for 2020-2022.

Join us on October 8, 2020, for the annual meeting Virtually.  Our keynote speaker, Matt Miller, is entertaining and informative.  We will present the new Board, and have fun after the business part is taken care of. Register online for the Zoom link.

In 2019 the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) used RBFF R3 Grant funding to create and implement a multi-tiered campaign to reach several target audiences. This initiative included a focused campaign that targeted Hispanic anglers in Southern Nevada.

Fishing and boating were promoted in a bilingual digital campaign that ran statewide in both English and Spanish. Social media was utilized along with, television commercials, SMS messaging, email communications and podcasts.

Successes of this integrated campaign include the following:

• 26.1% increase in fishing license sales
• 14.1% increase in boat registrations
• 6% increase in web traffic

For full results and additional details, read the case study in its entirety- https://www.takemefishing.org/getmedia/79c44592-75de-4648-9b93-33822d7ba4f6/NV-Fishing-and-Boating-Campaign-R3-Grant-Case-Study-2019.pdf 

For additional state success stories, visit the RBFF R3 webpage- https://www.takemefishing.org/r3/

In 1972, Richard Nixon signed the first ever Presidential proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day, writing:

"I urge all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations."

"National Hunting and Fishing (NHF) Day brings together sportsmen and women to celebrate the rich tradition of hunting, target shooting and fishing with national, state, regional and local organizations hosting related events. Launched in 1971 by Congress, NHF Day has consistently recognized hunters and anglers for their leadership in wildlife and conservation. NHF Day is observed and celebrated the fourth Saturday in September every year."

Article: https://www.nrahlf.org/articles/2020/9/14/voice-of-leadership-panel-why-does-r3-matter/

Internships

Students interested in wildlife conservation and stewardship are encouraged to apply for our paid internships through our partnership organizations. Opportunities with FWS and other conservation agencies throughout the country can be found on the following partner's websites:

• Student Conservation Association
• American Conservation Experience*
• Hispanic Access Foundation/MANO Project*

*You will need to use the agency filter to see our internships offered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Council Seeks Manager of R3 Partnerships

Southwick Associates hiring Senior Research Analyst

Artemis hiring Southeast Regional Coordinator

In 2019, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) used a  multi-channel marketing campaign to support their target audiences through the entire consumer life-cycle from increased consideration of fishing to a license purchase and ultimately to a fishing experience.

The promotion was branded under the Fish Natural umbrella brand, which is a companion to AGFC’s state branding of “The Natural State”. There were five separate promotions aimed at all different stages of the outdoor recreation adoption model.

The purpose of this campaign was to coordinate and integrate each program that has traditionally operated in disparate functions. This way the agency’s ability to utilize different consumer touchpoints and push the consumer through the various adoption phases could be gauged.

Due to an improvement in targeted marketing efforts, a greater financial investment in event promotions, better positioned events and a more cohesive statewide approach, the 2019 fishing season boasted:

• Over 19,800 participants in skills programs (an over 50% increase in specialized skill program offerings since 2017).
• Nearly 39,500 participants hosted at AGFC fishing events or derbies (a 25% increase over 2017).

With a number of additional efforts, including coordinated marketing promotions and improved sales channels at events, AGFC saw:

• Resident fishing licenses were up over 11% from July to October over the same time prior year, and
• Resident fishing license sales increased almost 2% over the past five-year average.

For full results and additional details, please read the full case study- https://www.takemefishing.org/getmedia/67b4f211-1378-45b4-a5c5-834db69da42e/AR-License-and-Participation-Marketing-Campaign-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf