Fishing in the City

The Status of South Bay Fishing in the City in the year 2015

1. South Bay Fishing in the City (SBFIC) is a self sustaining program with an endowment to cover operational costs.
2. Program lakes have developed and installed additional facilities to provide additional services to anglers. These include permanent fish cleaning stations and interpretive signs.
3. Lake Cunningham has solved its water quality issues.
4. There is web-based learning for public clinics and school based programs.
5. SBFIC has continued to focus on serving people with lower socio-economic status.
6. Events have increased the focus on water ecology, life skills and stewardship.
7. SBFIC has it's own Fish Exhibit which is entirely underwritten by local businesses (i.e. Mel Cottons)
8. SBFIC has succeeded in inspiring a new "spirit of giving" in the community.  As a result of the program, there is a reversal of a trend evident a decade ago of "anti-volunteerism."
9. Clinics are offered at a variety of levels (beginning, intermediate and advanced) and many types of fishing are taught (stream, fly, etc).
10. Volunteers remain the backbone of the program with past participants volunteering, a multi-tiered volunteer program and training opportunities (e.g. first aid, water safety) available to volunteers.
11. All classes involved in SBFIC have both field and class studies of local watersheds.

This list was created through several visioning sessions held with a variety of stakeholders, partners, volunteers and “Big Fish” between January and July of 2005 and reflects the common vision of where the program will grow into in the next 10 years.

Updated 9/30/05