CCA Expands to Pacific Northwest

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION, THE NATION'S largest marine resource conservation group, announced today that the organization will expand its operations to the U.S. Pacific Northwest to address a variety of conservation issues, including problems within the salmon fishery.

The announcement came as CCA celebrates its 30-year anniversary and follows a vote of the association’s national board of directors to commit CCA’s strength and experience to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. CCA currently maintains chapters in 15 coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

“This is a very exciting time for CCA,” said David Cummins, president of CCA National. “There is an enthusiasm and energy in the Pacific Northwest for getting things done, and we believe we will be making a significant, beneficial impact on how fisheries are managed in the region in the very near future.”

The creation of CCA Pacific Northwest (CCA PNW) will bring CCA’s extensive experience in grassroots networks, lobbying and fisheries management to the region’s contentious salmon issues, a long a source of frustration for Pacific Northwest anglers.

“We restored a run of Coho salmon to a creek that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife declared dead only to see commercial fisheries cripple it again,” said Gary Loomis, founder of G. Loomis Rods and a key figure in the effort to bring CCA to the Northwest.  “In 1996, when we started, there were 32 salmon in that creek.  We brought it back to 16,000 spawning, native fish. Two years ago, commercial gillnetters targeted that run of salmon.  Only 6,100 made it back. They targeted them again this year. That was when we decided we needed to try and bring CCA to the Northwest to help us stop the overharvest of our native and wild fish runs.”

The new founders of CCA PNW are already actively recruiting members and leaders to head-up this effort.

“We needed an organization with proven success affecting policy change in fisheries,” said Jon Bial, another organizer of CCA PNW. “We believe the strengths of CCA, coupled with the passion of Pacific Northwest anglers, is the best way to achieve our goals for a healthy salmon fishery for generations to come.”

See the May/June issue of TIDE magazine for our first article on the challenges facing conservationists in the Pacific Northwest...

Federal Judge: Fisheries Service has failed red snapper

IN A STUNNING REPUDIATION of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s rebuilding plan for red snapper, a federal judge ruled yesterday that NMFS violated the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act by its continuing failure to take timely and appropriate steps to rebuild red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico or to regulate the harm to red snapper caused by shrimp fishing.

      Coastal Conservation Association was the lead plaintiff in the suit.

      “The judge’s ruling affirms CCA’s long-standing position: to manage red snapper stocks, NMFS must take into account the devastation caused by shrimp trawl by-catch,” said CCA Chairman Walter Fondren III.  “We are pleased with the decision of the federal court. This confirms that the support and dedication our members give to marine conservation really do make a difference.”

      CCA challenged the legality of the 2005 NMFS rebuilding plan for red snapper because it failed to address and regulate the shrimp fishing industry, which accounts for the vast majority of red snapper mortality.

In her Opinion and Order, U. S. District Judge Melinda Harmon noted that the Department of Commerce (through NMFS) had repeatedly extended the time that it needed to rebuild red snapper stocks, but that NMFS’ efforts did not result in a plan that would have a greater than 50 percent chance of succeeding in rebuilding fish stocks.  Judge Harmon also found that the facts relied upon by NMFS to support its plan were unreasonable or unwarranted based on the information available to the government.

“We have fought the fisheries service over this point for two decades,” said CCA President David Cummins.  “If NMFS had been doing its job, we would have never reached this point. This situation was created entirely by NMFS and its incessant refusal to address shrimp trawl bycatch.”

The District Court ordered that NMFS issue a rule by December 12, 2007, that will provide for the rebuilding of red snapper stocks by 2032, at the latest.  The District Court further ordered that any plan approved by the U. S. Commerce Secretary must consider and adopt measures to minimize the number of juvenile red snapper killed by the shrimp fishing industry.

“We stand ready to work with the shrimp industry and all other stakeholders to make sure that the action to be taken by NMFS conforms with the judge’s target,” said CCA General Counsel Bob Hayes.

CCA Applauds Shell’s Decision to Abandon
Open-Loop LNG Project

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION PRAISED the recent announcement by Shell US Gas & Power LLC to abandon plans for an open-loop liquefied natural gas terminal in the Gulf of Mexico as a victory for marine resource conservation.

“This is good news for the fish,” said CCA Louisiana Executive Director/CEO Jeff Angers.  “And it’s good news for fishermen.”

CCA opposed the terminal due to its use of technology that would filter and sterilize millions of gallons of seawater daily, but the federal government awarded Shell a permit to operate the open-loop facility in 2005.

 “Despite the best efforts of many in the conservation arena, Shell was granted a permit to operate its LNG terminal off the coast of Louisiana using technology that threatened to cause great harm to those resources,” said Pat Murray, CCA Director of Conservation. “The cancellation of this project is a good thing for the Gulf of Mexico.”

CCA has opposed LNG terminals that propose to use “open rack” vaporization systems, also referred to as open-loop systems. This type of LNG terminal receives imported liquefied gas and converts it back to a gaseous state by circulating seawater through a radiator-like system to reheat it. An open-loop system can filter more than 100 million gallons of seawater per day, then chlorinates it to prevent fouling in the intake pipe, creating the potential to kill billions of fish eggs, larvae and plankton annually.

“Once it became clear that Shell would receive its permit, CCA committed to work with the government and the company to ensure any impact on marine resources in the Gulf was reduced to an absolute minimum and was properly mitigated,” said Frederic Miller, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee and a past president of CCA Louisiana. “We were prepared to be a watchdog on this project for its 30-year lifespan. However, we never stopped working to encourage Shell to use less harmful technology. It is very fortunate that Shell has chosen this course of action.”

Since Shell received its permit, CCA and a host of other organizations have rallied to prevent other energy companies from being allowed to use open-loop technology in a string of LNG terminals proposed for the Gulf. That effort culminated in May 2006 with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco’s veto of an open-loop project proposed by McMoRan Exploration just 16 miles off the state’s coastline. McMoRan has since changed its heating technology to “closed-loop” system, which is much less damaging to the marine environment, and is proceeding with its project.

Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama and Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi also pledged their opposition to the destructive technology, sending a strong signal to the energy industry that open-loop systems are not welcome in the Gulf of Mexico.

Coastal Conservation Association wins Sustainable Fisheries Award

 THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION has just announced recipients of the second-annual sustainable fisheries leadership awards.  NOAA Fisheries developed the national award program to honor innovation and excellence in marine stewardship.  Recipients of the 2007 Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Awards were selected from 60 nominations for awards in six categories of achievement.

 CCA Texas will receive the Conservation Partnership Award for promoting volunteerism through its Bay Debris Cleanup program that brought together a broad group of citizens, industry, and local, state and federal governments to clear tons of debris from the bay and beach in coastal Texas. 

Check Out the April 2007 Issue of Sport Fishing Magazine...

"Loving Fish and Freedom"

By Doug Olander
Editor-in-Chief
Sport Fishing
April 2007 Issue

 “Compelling this column is the
notion of doing the right versus the expedient thing – and why the CCA merits praise from anglers
and the recreational community for taking the right and often
more difficult road when it comes to managing marine fisheries....the association has taken positions many times over the years not only expressing a willingness to accept additional regulation but even demanding it - always for the good of the resource and always if applied fairly.”

To read more, pick up a copy of Sport Fishing at your local bookstore or newsstand.

  Return of the Reefs

THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR) in partnership with Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) and over 30 conservation organizations, corporations, foundations and outdoor recreational groups launched the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative (MARI) to raise funds to facilitate development of marine habitat enhancement projects.

"The Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative represents an unprecedented effort to bring diverse stakeholders of Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal waters to work together building healthy and vibrant benthic communities," said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin. "In turn, those underwater communities provide a wealth of positive benefits for fish and other marine life. I would like to thank our partners for their dedication, hard work and contribution to this worthy purpose."

Coastal Conservation Association Maryland is the functioning 501(c)(3) non profit entity that will receive and distribute donations made to MARI. All donations will be held in a special account and funds will be dispersed to artificial reef projects.  Individuals, businesses, corporations and foundations can donate to the MARI fund through CCA MD and the “Buy a Ton” program at the CCA MD website, www.ccamd.org, by clicking on the MARI logo. Donations can also be mailed to CCA MD, 101 Ridgely Ave, Ste 12-A, Annapolis, MD 21401. Make checks payable to CCA MD and put MARI in the memo section.

“This is a fantastic example of how public and private entities can work together to make a positive difference for our marine resources,” said Robert Glenn, executive director of the Maryland chapter of CCA. “Our members welcome the opportunity to participate in this effort and are very excited about the precedent it sets. We consider absorbing the costs of administering this dedicated fund so that tax-deductible contributions go directly to reef projects as simply part of our mission. We encourage every angler in Maryland to visit the website and Buy a Ton. Projects like these are the future for the health and longevity of Chesapeake Bay.”

The catalyst for the program is the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which is available to be used for marine and fish habitat, but for which the cost of transportation and deployment is required. The Wilson Bridge offers the opportunity to build out up to a dozen separate reefs in Maryland's portion of Chesapeake Bay by providing a hard substrate and point of attachment for myriad marine organisms, where they previously had none. The initial focus of MARI will be to acquire the Wilson Bridge for reef habitat, but ultimately other projects in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coast will be initiated.

Following are the organizations joining the Department of Natural Resources in helping establish MARI as of April 17, 2007....

Click here to buy a ton:

Click to make your tax-deductible contribution to MARI. All donations less bank charges and credit card fees go directly to reef projects approved by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after consultation with the Artificial Reef Committee and the Sport Fish and Tidal Fish Advisory Commissions. Donations can also be mailed to CCA MD, 101 Ridgely Ave, Ste 12-A, Annapolis, MD 21401. Make checks payable to CCA MD and put MARI in the memo section.

 CCA and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute partner for the creation of $700,000 marine science lab

REPRESENTATIVES OF COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (CCA) and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) recently met in Port Aransas, Texas to ceremonially break ground on what will be one of the foremost marine larviculture laboratories in the world.  This $700,000 facility will focus on the production of such recreationally important species as flounder, cobia, snapper and snook and produce cutting-edge research on increasing the success of existing hatcheries.

“This lab will allow us to move our studies up to a higher level with a novel system of tanks and environmental controls.  With the addition of new modern laboratory space we will have an unparalleled capability for critical work on Texas fisheries, with implications for fisheries nationwide,” said Dr. Joan Holt, Associate Director of Fisheries and Mariculture at UTMSI.

UTMSI is home to the most advanced marine fisheries disciplines research in the world including the physiology, biochemistry, and ecology of marine plants and animals; dynamics of marine ecosystems; mariculture; and environmental monitoring.  It is the oldest marine research station on the Texas Gulf Coast.

“UTMSI is known throughout the world as a leader in marine fisheries studies.  This new facility will be a significant tool to gain a better understanding of the life-cycles of many recreational species,” said CCA Texas Executive Director Robby Byers.  “The science and research undertaken at this facility will advance our knowledge of these species to levels we have only dreamed about in the past.”

CCA Texas, a non-profit marine conservation organization, is partnering with UTMSI, who will contribute $100,000 of their own funds to the project, in providing $700,000 to completely fund the design, construction and equipment for the creation of this state-of-the-art lab.

“Its inspiring to know that CCA’s funding came directly from grassroots fundraising at the local chapter level,” said Will Ohmstede, past chairman of CCA Texas. “Thanks the hard work and dedication of thousands of CCA Texas volunteers, donors and sponsors, the future of Texas’ coastal fisheries is much brighter.”

 “This historic facility is 100-percent paid for by CCA volunteers,” said Mark Ray, Chairman of the CCA/UTMSI Building Committee. “Every chapter president, volunteer and member can take personal pride in putting this scientific jewel in place.”