Posts Tagged ‘marine habitat’
CCA Texas habitat program funds $50,000 to restore West Galveston Bay wetlands
HOUSTON, TX - Adding to an already impressive list of offshore artificial reefing and habitat restoration projects, the CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) program has announced it is funding $50,000 toward an ambitious marsh restoration project in West Galveston Bay. CCA Texas is joining with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Phase I of the Bird Island Cove project, which will deploy 4,400 linear feet of geo-textile tubing and directly restore almost 57 acres of marsh habitat.
“Wetlands loss is a major concern in Texas, as it is in all coastal states,” said Jay Gardner, chairman of the CCA Texas HTFT program. “We are very proud to be in a position to work with other organizations and with state agencies to begin the monumental task of creating, restoring and conserving these habitats that are so important to our marine resources.”
The Galveston Bay complex has experienced greater wetlands loss than almost anywhere else in the state. Between 1950 and 1985, the system lost an estimated 20 percent of its wetlands and 70 percent of its seagrass. Based on historical information, most of the damage has occurred in West Galveston Bay and recent aerial research indicates that marsh habitat continues to disappear at a rapid rate.
“These habitats are at the very core of a healthy marine system and it is critical to not only stop losing wetlands, but also start to rebuild them where they have disappeared,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas. “This type of restoration project is essential if we are going to continue to enjoy the incredible marine resources we have in this state. CCA members see this as a direct means of giving something back to the resource and ensuring a healthy future for all types of marine life.”
Phase I of the project has an estimated cost of $1.3 million and the $50,000 from CCA Texas will be leveraged for up to three times that amount in matching grant dollars. The geo-textile tubes will act as a breakwater to set the stage for the restoration of intertidal marsh complex. Dredge material will then be pumped into the protected area to raise the elevation and create different types of habitat, including salt flats and salt marsh. When fully completed, the project is expected to benefit almost 250 acres of intertidal marsh habitat that will be used by all types of fish, birds and shellfish.
“There is a considerable amount of engineering and construction that goes into a project like this, but the method has a proven track record of success in previous projects at Snake Island Cove, Carancahua Cove, Jumbile Cove and others,” said Byers. “West Galveston Bay is a particular area of concern, but we are committed to turning the tide on habitat loss there and restoring it to its full potential.”
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CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit the CCA Newsroom at www.JoinCCA.org.
Tags: HTFT, marine habitat, marsh restoration
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Sunglasses manufacturer hosts college event to benefit Coastal Conservation Association
MOBILE, AL - What happens when you bring together a couple of good bands, a cool sunglasses company, a few thousand college students and a great cause? You get a wildly successful Party with A Purpose hosted by Costa Sunglasses that raised more than $24,000 for Gulf habitat restoration in the wake of last summer’s oil spill.
For the third year in a row, Costa Sunglasses organized its U. of Blue Greekfest event on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. The event, labeled as “A Party with A Purpose,” brought together the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils to put on an extraordinary student-tailored concert event in August 2010, and this year the proceeds were dedicated to marine conservation.
“This particular event was part of our college program that we’ve had for years. Each event is designed to raise money for a particular cause and with everything that happened in the Gulf this summer, it was a natural fit for this event to donate all the proceeds to Coastal Conservation Association Alabama,” said Nicole Ralston, marketing manager for Costa Sunglasses.
In previous years, Costa’s U. of Blue program has hosted several smaller events at different locations, but this year organizers decided to throw one huge event and the results exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“It was just amazing. More than 8,000 students attended the event this year, which is by far the largest crowd we have ever had,” Ralston said. “Without a purpose, it’s just another party, so it’s clear that the health of the Gulf of Mexico means something to young people today. There is a great deal of concern there, and we are just glad we were able to partner with the University of Alabama to direct these funds to an organization that is committed to working towards a better future for the Gulf.”
CCA Alabama chairman Edwin Lamberth said that since the beginning of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, CCA’s Building Conservation Habitat Program has been evaluating habitat restoration projects that would help restore impacted areas of the coastal environment.
“Alabama’s anglers have a long history of giving back to the resources that we all cherish,” he said. “We will be applying that experience to find partners and organize our members so that we can leverage this donation into a truly meaningful habitat project that will show a good return on the incredible generosity of Costa and the students at the University of Alabama.”
Costa U. of Blue Greekfest 2010 – Party for the Fish!
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Coastal Conservation Association is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. www.JoinCCA.org
Costa Sunglasses – As the leading manufacturer of the world’s clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa creates what has been referred to as the highest quality, best performing sunglasses on the planet for outdoor enthusiasts. For Costa, conservation is all about sustainable fishing. Costa works with partners around the world to help increase awareness and influence policy so that both the fish and fishermen of tomorrow will have healthy waters to enjoy. Costa encourages others to help in any way they can. Costa began their U. of Blue College Tour in 2004.
www.costadelmar.com www.facebook.com/costasunglasses
Tags: CCA Building Conservation, Costa, marine habitat
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laurie Fried
West Marine
831.761.6944
West Marine funding to support habitat work of non-profit organizations across the country
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (October 11, 2010) – West Marine, the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, today announced the recipients of their first annual Marine Conservation Grants program. Grants for a total amount of $30,000 are being awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to “improve and protect marine habitat,” which is part of West Marine’s mission. This year’s grant recipients reside in California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas.
“We are proud to support recreational boating and fishing groups and marine environmental groups that put our resources first,” said Randy Repass, Chairman of the Board and Founder of West Marine. “The work of these organizations will benefit recreational fishing and sustainable commercial fishing as well as the goals of most marine environmental groups.”
The Recipients of the West Marine Conservation Grants for 2010:
1. California & Hawaii – The Ocean Foundation Tag-a-Giant Fund: The Ocean Foundation’s Tag-A-Giant Fund supports research on highly migratory fish and promotes innovative policy and conservation initiatives based on this research. Led by Stanford University Professor of Marine Sciences, Dr. Barbara Block, it has played a key role in integrating cutting-edge research into discussions of fisheries policy.
Funds will be utilized to support the Great Marlin Race conservation research project. During the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, West Marine will sponsor a pop-up satellite archival tag for deployment on Pacific blue marlin. Findings from a previous race provided the longest electronic tracks ever measured in billfish.
2. Huntington Beach, California – Get Inspired: Funds will be used to continue Kelp forest ecosystem restoration by allowing Huntington Beach students to grow white sea bass in their classrooms and then restock them in coastal Huntington Beach. By being involved in the restoration of this species, students have a stake in the overall health of the oceans. The students take ownership of the fish that they help to raise. They actually “do” something to make the world a better place instead of just learning about it. This project aims to create Ocean Stewards and healthy kelp forests.
3. Sebastian, Fort Pierce, and Indian River Lagoon, Florida – Marine Cleanup Initiative, Inc (MCII): This organization was founded to clean our waterways of marine debris such as fishing line, plastics, casting nets, bottles, cans, anchors, batteries, etc. MCII uses volunteer divers, boat owners, commercial divers, cranes and larger vessels.
Funds will be used to chart the waters set aside for crab traps and clam farming. Derelict traps and abandoned nets will be identified and retrieved. Under direction of Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission aquatic creatures will be released and disturbed habitat will be restored.
4. Jacksonville, Florida – TISRI: TISRI stands for “Think It, Sink It, Reef It” and is focused on the creation and promotion of artificial reefs. Fishing line and trash creates an endangerment potential for all marine life. Funding will support “trash harvesting” dives. Reefs will be chosen based on local knowledge of fishing locations.
5. New Orleans, Louisiana – Marine Research and Assistance Council: The Citizen Sailor Program educates and equips coastal and blue water mariners to conduct basic scientific air and water sampling to be shared with environmental research organizations. Funding will be used to conduct sampling and to monitor the effects of the BP oil spill. Data will be shared with the Lake Ponchatrain Basin Foundation and the University of New Orleans.
6. New Orleans, Louisiana - Friends of the West End: This non-profit corporation is dedicated to the restoration of green spaces and shorelines on West End Park. Funding has been provided to clear tidal flow culverts that are heavily silted. This will have a positive impact on breeding grounds for multiple species of fish and crab.
7. South Carolina: Coastal Conservation Association (CCA): CCA South Carolina is the oldest, largest and one of the most respected non-profit marine conservation organization in South Carolina. As a grass-roots organization, 12 local CCA chapters, located in every corner of the state are made up of thousands of recreational saltwater anglers whose passion centers on the state’s marine resources. Funding will support the Topwater Action Campaign, which focuses on oyster recycling, reef restoration and creation, water quality and education.
8. Texas – Coastal Conservation Association (CCA): CCA Texas has 50,000 members and the Nueces Bay Causeway marsh restoration project is a joint effort with the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP) to restore 160 acres of intertidal marsh habitat.
Funding will support a “grass planting day” during which volunteers can assist in planting. This critical marsh will provide essential habitat for shrimp, crabs, juvenile fish, as well as feeding grounds for birds and larger fish.
9. Orange County, California – Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA): Ocean Defenders Alliance strives to make Southern California’s coastal waters safer for marine wildlife by reducing dangerous man-made objects in vital habitat, focusing on abandoned commercial fishing gear that poses serious threats to numerous species. In the process of derelict gear removal, ODA carefully liberates wildlife found trapped in nets and pots that needlessly continue to capture and kill long after being lost by the fishing industry. Funding is targeted at removing derelict gear around the Channel Islands in Southern California.
The Marine Conservation Grants are awarded through a formal application process in which interested organizations must submit their proposal directly to West Marine. All applications are reviewed by the Marine Conservation Action Team (MCAT). Those applying must show sound financial policies and management with a key focus in marine conservation, habitat restoration and sustainable fisheries. These activities may cover water clean-up, habitat protection and restoration, ocean science and conservation projects that relate to key marine species, water quality, sustainable ocean use, etc.
Since 1994, West Marine has donated over $4,500,000 to non-profit organizations that support youth boating, boating safety and the marine environment. For more information about the Marine Conservation Grants program, please visit www.westmarine.com.
About West Marine
West Marine, the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has more than 330 company-owned stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada and two franchised stores located in Turkey. Our call center and Internet channels offer Customers over 60,000 products plus the convenience of exchanging catalog and Internet purchases at our Store locations. Our Port Supply division is one of the largest wholesale distributors of marine equipment serving boat manufacturers, marine services, commercial vessel operators and government agencies. For more information on West Marine’s products and store locations, or to start shopping, visit westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING (1-800-262-8464).
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Tags: CCA Building Conservation, marine habitat, west marine
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$5,000 contribution kicks off efforts to restore Gulf habitat through Sportsman Fund
Gulf of Mexico habitat restoration efforts received another shot in the arm this week when Sportsman Channel announced a $5,000 contribution directly to the Sportsman Fund, a special fund it created with Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) to benefit Gulf Coast habitat in the wake of this summer’s oil spill. The pledge is in addition to the Sportsman Channel’s commitment to funnel this year’s proceeds from the monthly fee of every new Sportsman Channel SD and HD a la carte subscriber on DISH Network to the Sportsman Fund.
“A healthy and vibrant Gulf of Mexico is important to all of us, and we are thankful to have a partner like Sportsman Channel that has such a clear vision for what needs to be done over the long term to achieve that goal,” said Patrick Murray, CCA president. “Their generosity in not only creating the Sportsman Fund, but also seeding it with $5,000 shows that this company is run by sportsmen, for sportsmen, to promote the tradition of conservation.”
Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, announced earlier this month that the network is available as an a la carte option on DISH Network Ch. 395. To help bring awareness and support to Gulf restoration efforts, DISH Network offered a free preview of Sportsman Channel during September. Outdoor enthusiasts can subscribe to Sportsman Channel a la carte by visiting www.dish.com.
“Continual funding of the Sportsman Fund is very important to us to ensure it stays top-of-mind among the media and our community alike,” said Gavin Harvey, Sportsman Channel CEO. “We have more plans for this fund; the DISH Network collaboration is just one piece of the puzzle. The Gulf may not get back to its original form – our intentions are to make it better.”
CCA has worked closely with government and regulatory agencies since the beginning of the Gulf oil disaster to ensure the Gulf’s habitats, fishing industries, marine life and resources are adequately represented and supported. CCA’s history and experience in marine habitat restoration and coastal conservation will continue to be a vital component in the recovery and restoration of Gulf marine resources.
“We continue to see signs of progress and hope across the Gulf of Mexico, but there is still much we can do to help ensure a steady recovery through research and habitat restoration,” said Murray. “The real work starts now, and thanks to the Sportsman Channel, CCA volunteers along the Gulf Coast will be even more prepared to implement projects that best benefit the resource.”
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SPORTSMAN CHANNEL: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel is now available in HD, check with your local cable or satellite provider. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl), become a Fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel and download Sportsman App at www.itunes.com/appstore
ABOUT CCA: Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. CCA’s strength is drawn from the tens of thousands of recreational saltwater anglers who make up its membership. From South Texas to the Puget Sound to the upper reaches of Maine, CCA’s grassroots influence is felt through state capitols, U.S. Congress and, most importantly, in the conservation and restoration of our coastal marine resources. Visit www.JoinCCA.org for more information.
Tags: CCA Building Conservation, marine habitat, Sportsman Fund
Posted in CCA Atlantic States, CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico, CCA Pacific Northwest, CCA South Atlantic | No Comments »
Field & Stream honors CCA volunteer for work leading Louisiana artificial reef program
CCA’s John Walther has been named one of the six finalists for Field & Stream’s 2010 Heroes of Conservation award designed to recognize sportsmen dedicated to the protection of fish and wildlife habitat. Under Walther’s leadership as co chairman of CCA Louisiana’s habitat initiative, the organization has completed five limestone reefs in state waters since 2000 and has another major effort currently underway in Lake Pontchartrain.
“We have worked hard for many years to maintain a sustainable fishery and our efforts are more important than ever now,” says Walther. “Due to coastal erosion, we’re losing a football field of our land every 30 minutes. One way to mitigate these losses and ensure there is future for our fisheries is to restore reef areas and create new ones.”
Nominations for the Heroes of Conservation Award are collected from all over the country and are reviewed by a panel of Field & Stream editors and conservation leaders. The six finalists have been invited to an awards ceremony in Washington DC and are featured in the October issue of Field & Stream magazine. CCA’s Ronnie Luster won the 2006 Hero of Conservation Award for his work launching an abandoned crab trap clean-up program in Texas.
“Habitat creation is a major focus for CCA and the work of people like John and Ronnie shows how our members can make a significant contribution to the future of our fisheries,” said Pat Murray, president of CCA. “John is just a remarkable person and his tenacious effort and vision to see these projects through from concept to completion have created a legacy of conservation that future generations will enjoy and hopefully expand.”
Walther’s first reef project in 2000, at a site that’s known as Bird Island, involved the placement of nearly 8,000 tons of limestone. He is currently involved with a massive reefing project on Lake Pontchartrain that is using recycled concrete from the I-10 Bridge damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“We don’t know what the long-term effects of the oil spill will be, but one thing’s for certain: Recovery is our only option,” Walther says. “I want to make sure that we continue to have enough locations where people can continue to enjoy the sport that’s such a big part of our way of life down here.”
The winner of the 2010 Hero of Conservation Award will be announced on Oct. 6 2010. Click HERE to see a Field & Stream video about John and CCA Louisiana’s artificial reef program.
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Coastal Conservation Association is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit www.JoinCCA.org.
Tags: CCA Building Conservation, hero of conservation, John Walther, marine habitat
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | 1 Comment »
Remington rebates benefit Building Conservation habitat program
HOUSTON, TX – In a unique partnership between the hunting and angling communities, Remington Arms Company is offering a way for its customers to restore one of our country’s most valuable wildlife habitats through CCA’s Building Conservation Habitat Program. As part of its Fall 2010 Rebate Roundup program, Remington customers will have the option to donate all or a portion of the rebate to marine habitat projects in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are pleased and honored that Remington sees Building Conservation as a worthy recipient of rebate contributions from its customers,” said Patrick Murray, CCA president. “Hunters and anglers share the same conservation ideals, and we are grateful that Remington is creating a program to help the Gulf when it needs it the most. Those funds will help create the reefs and marshes that future generations of sportsmen will enjoy.”
“Our Fall 2010 Rebate Roundup is the largest rebate program we have ever offered at Remington. By partnering with CCA’s Building Conservation Program, our consumers have the option to donate all or a portion of their rebates to help the restoration of one of our country’s most valuable wildlife habitats – the Gulf Coast,” commented Roy Gifford, Vice President of Brand Management and Research for Remington Arms Company. “We are truly honored to be involved with the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation.”
CCA’s Building Conservation Program was created to provide funding for local, state and national marine habitat conservation and restoration projects. Program funds are directed to CCA’s 17 state chapters for grassroots-driven projects like marsh-grass planting, oyster shell recycling and offshore artificial reefs.
“Habitat restoration is not about just enhancing habitat, it is about creating a destination for recreational anglers to access the resource,” said Murray. “Hunters and anglers understand better than anyone the need to give something back to the resource. With partners like Remington, we can restore areas today that will mean more habitat, more fish, and better angling opportunities for the future.”
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About Remington Arms Company, Inc.
Remington Arms Company, Inc., headquartered in Madison, N.C., designs, produces and sells sporting goods products for the hunting and shooting sports markets, as well as solutions to the military, government and law enforcement markets. Founded in 1816 in upstate New York, the Company is one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating manufacturers. Remington is the only U.S. manufacturer of both firearms and ammunition products and one of the largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles. The Company distributes its products throughout the U.S. and in over 55 foreign countries. More information about the Company can be found at www.remington.com.
Coastal Conservation Association is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit the CCA Newsroom at www.JoinCCA.org.
Tags: CCA Building Conservation, marine habitat, Remington
Posted in CCA Atlantic States, CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico, CCA Pacific Northwest, CCA South Atlantic | No Comments »
CCA Texas partners with state to add 250 tons of material to reef off Freeport
CCA Texas HTFT Director John Blaha with Dale Shively, head of TPWD's Artificial Reef Program
HOUSTON, TX – Texas anglers now have more fishing room at Vancouver Reef after more than 250 tons of concrete and granite reefing material were added to the popular fishing site this week through a cooperative effort of CCA Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The addition of the material marks the single largest addition to the reef since the original Liberty ship was sunk at the site off Freeport in 1976.
“This project is a win-win situation for anglers and for the resource. Creating reef habitat is not just about building biomass, it is also about creating a destination for recreational anglers to access the resource,” said John Blaha, director of CCA Texas’s Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) program. “We learned a great deal during this project and will be looking to use that experience to build more habitat and create better angling opportunities for the future.”
The effort to expand Vancouver Reef began with CCA Texas securing 23 granite blocks from Texas A&M Galveston in 2009. After CCA Texas contributed $25,000 to moving those blocks to the Vancouver reef site, a private Houston foundation stepped up to support the project with another $25,000 donation. With $50,000 in hand, CCA Texas moved to expand the endeavor and sought additional partners. Ultimately, Old Castle Precast agreed to supply approximately 110 concrete catch basins and Dorsett Brothers Concrete provided storage and use of their docking facilities in Freeport.
“Once the ball was rolling, we were fortunate to have Dale Shively, head of the TPWD Artificial Reef Program, to work on an agreement to cover the logistics and costs of actually dropping all that material,” said Blaha. “There are a lot of complex, moving parts to a project like this and the partnerships that were forged throughout this process were key to its success. It was an awesome feeling to watch those rocks finally dropped into the Gulf.”
“This is the perfect example of how organizations can work together to improve habitat for marine life,” said Shively. “I look forward to working with CCA Texas on many more reefing projects.”
The CCA Texas habitat initiative was launched in 2009 and has already set in motion a number of projects important to Texas recreational anglers. In addition to the Vancouver expansion, CCA Texas has earmarked $50,000 for the Port Mansfield reefing project and another $35,000 for the Matagorda reef project. TPWD is currently securing permits from the Corps of Engineers to proceed with the Matagorda reef. Visit www.CCATexas.org for more information.
Detailed maps of the Vancouver and other reef sites are available from TPWD’s Artificial Reef Program, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/habitats/artificial_reef/
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Tags: artificial reefs, marine habitat, Texas
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | 3 Comments »
Habitat restoration focus of CCA presentation to Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON DC – Key conservation leaders from groups including Coastal Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited, The Isaac Walton League and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and other members of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee this week to discuss critical conservation issues facing recreational anglers and hunters.
The meeting addressed important topics such as Gulf oil crisis relief for recreational fishing industries, access issues and need for proper conservation of natural resources. CCA President Patrick D. Murray took the opportunity to express concern over the short and long-term conservation needs of coastal resources in light of the oil spill.
“Recreational anglers and the businesses they support along the Gulf are struggling,” Murray told the gathering. “The immediate need to help these businesses must be combined with a long-term vision for restoring the resources that support recreational angling. Planning should begin now to rebuild the marine environment of the Gulf Coast through massive habitat programs, construction of hatcheries and development of marine research centers.”
In previous meetings with Administration officials and with Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), as well as in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, CCA has encouraged federal lawmakers to make preparations now for when efforts shift from cleaning up the oil to the enduring task of repairing the damage.
“CCA has run successful marine habitat enhancement programs throughout its 30-plus-year history, and we have tens of thousands of members who were on the Gulf Coast before the oil spill and will be here long after the cameras and microphones are gone,” said Murray. “However, with the scale of the challenge now before us, we need lawmakers to commit to rebuilding the marsh, the reefs and the fish stocks. That will define long-term success.”
Tags: marine habitat, oil spill
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Meeting with Sen. Richard Shelby seeks support for habitat restoration, hatchery
ORANGE BEACH, AL – In a meeting with U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Coastal Conservation Association Alabama called on BP and the federal government to support plans for habitat restoration and construction of a saltwater fish hatchery/research center to reverse damages to Gulf marine resources as quickly as possible. Sen. Shelby traveled to Orange Beach on June 19 to meet with business owners, recreational anglers, and commercial fisherman impacted by the spill.
“The quality of recreational fishing is not just a matter for fishermen,” CCA Alabama Chairman Edwin Lamberth told Sen. Shelby. “It affects every single business that depends on revenue from recreational fishermen visiting Alabama’s coast. We must restore recreational fishing quickly not only to ensure that the resource is protected for the long-term, but also to get business back on its feet.”
Lamberth explained that the best way to reverse the damage done to the recreational fishery is to begin habitat restoration projects as soon as the oil spill is contained or stopped, and begin preparations for construction of a fish hatchery and marine research center to rebuild local fish populations.
“I have always been a supporter of marine habitat projects such as oyster bed restoration on Alabama’s coast, and I will continue to do everything I can to make sure our habitat is protected and restored,” Sen. Shelby said.
CCA Louisiana Executive Director David Cresson recently testified before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife on the impacts of the oil spill and also emphasized the need for a commitment to habitat restoration and hatchery/research facilities. CCA’s Building Conservation Program has initiated hundreds of projects to protect and restore marine habitat.
“CCA Alabama has made substantial investments in the construction of inshore and offshore artificial reefs, grass bed and marsh protection, and oyster bed projects,” Lamberth said. “Our members undertook those projects proactively to ensure our fisheries would remain robust and healthy. But the scale of this disaster is unprecedented and while we certainly have the manpower and the willpower to do our part, we’ll need willing partners to do everything that needs to be done to restore the marine environment now.”
CCA Alabama intends to meet with BP officials, the State of Alabama Department of Conservation, and the marine science departments of the University of South Alabama, Auburn University, and the University of Alabama to formulate plans for a hatchery/research center and to develop habitat projects that will produce the greatest impact when the leak is stopped and efforts shift from clean-up to repair.
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Tags: hatchery, marine habitat, oil spill, Shelby
Posted in CCA Building Conservation, CCA Gulf of Mexico | No Comments »
Conservationists provide critical funding for water monitoring program
Columbia, S.C. – As part of its commitment to improving both coastal habitat and saltwater recreational angling opportunities, Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina has announced it will provide $5,400 in funding for the continued operation of the water monitoring station at the end of Apache Pier in Horry County this summer.
“CCA South Carolina could not be more pleased to be working with scientists on a research project that provides such critical information,” said Michael Smith, CCA South Carolina state chairman. “This project is another example of CCA’s members and volunteers continued commitment to science-based fisheries management as well as the recreational angling community.”
In 2004, unusually large catches of flounder in the waters off the Myrtle Beach area, often called Long Bay, were determined to have been caused by a hypoxic, or low-oxygen, zone in the water that drove fish toward the shoreline. As a result of that event, in 2006 the S.C. Department of Natural Resources installed water quality monitoring equipment that was maintained by researchers at Coastal Carolina University’s Environmental Quality Laboratory. The monitoring station provides the tools to review oxygen levels, water temperatures, salinity levels, and other environmental conditions along the coast. In August 2009, the water quality monitors indicated that Long Bay had experienced another hypoxia event, alerting fisheries managers and scientists to the conditions in Long Bay. As a result, scientists from SCDNR, CCU and USC are much closer to identifying the conditions that cause such events.
However, state agencies such as the SCDNR and state-supported research programs such as CCU are dealing with severe budget cuts and programs such as the water-monitoring station are being forced to look for new sources of funding to continue operations.
“The need for our state and federal management agencies to produce accurate science has never been more acute, but just as funding requirements to meet that need are rising, budgets are shrinking,” said Mike Able, CCA national board member. “With this small project, CCA South Carolina is stepping up to the plate and simply doing what it can to support the data-gathering process that is so critical to building trust between fisheries managers and the angling community.”
CCA SC’s Topwater Action Campaign was established in 2008 with a focus on oyster recycling, habitat enhancement and restoration, water quality, and education. The program has established itself as a “hands-on” component of CCA’s mission to be resource-first, science-based, advocates for angling.
“When we see something happen on the coast that affects our marine resources, we all want to know what caused it, and then fix it as quickly as possible,” said Scott Whitaker, executive director of CCA South Carolina. “That’s why we created the Topwater Action Campaign as a way for members to be involved and make a difference right here at home. We have members ready and willing to get muddy making an oyster reef or contributing funds to monitor water quality. We all just want healthy marine resources.”
Tags: marine habitat, research, South Carolina
Posted in CCA Building Conservation | No Comments »
