Sunday, March 9, 2008
What can you get for the price of a steak dinner?
How about a healthy fishery for generations to come.
It seems like a modest price to pay to ensure the future of our rich and diverse fisheries.
Spring time is fundraising time for many organizations, but few have enhanced the lives of so many recreational anglers as much as the Coastal Conservation Association.
Since it was founded and incorporated 31 years ago, the CCA has been an extremely active voice in fishery management circles throughout Gulf and Atlantic states on local, state and federal levels. Since 1984, the CCA has had two registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C. to help clarify conservation positions and garner support for pro-fisheries legislation.
CCA funds are granted for habitat projects, marine science research efforts and law enforcement. CCA has helped build two of the world’s largest saltwater hatchery facilities. Its 95,000 members across 17 state chapters from Texas to Maine (and Oregon and Washington) helped establish gamefish status for several species, enact net bans in shallow coastal waters in four states and helped prohibit destructive fishing gear.
I have gone on the record in the past year in disagreement of CCA’s stance on Marine Protected Areas and snook regulations in Florida. In the interest of full disclosure, I was a CCA member for several years, but have not been for two years now.
Still, I continue to directly benefit from the organization’s work to help recover several once-strained fisheries. Thanks in part to them, my family and I have a reasonable chance of success at catching a redfish, trout, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and swordfish — all fisheries that faced the edge of collapse as recently as the late 1980s.
The CCA membership has helped give all inshore anglers that chance. Now it’s time for us to give back.
Buying a steak dinner is where one can start to show his appreciation for the CCA. In the next few weeks, the two CCA chapters that cover the Treasure Coast will have their respective banquets and auctions. (see details below)
Friday, the Martin/St. Lucie chapter will have its dinner at Indian RiverSide Park in Jensen Beach. March 27, the Treasure Coast chapter will have its dinner in Vero Beach.
Both will feature hundreds of items up for bid in silent auction and live auction. Items include guided fishing trips locally or as far away as Louisiana, Mexico, Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Ireland and the Amazon Jungle; hunting trips like a dove hunt to Argentina, fish art, jewelry, Yamaha outboard motors, fishing tackle and a raffle that includes a 50-inch HDTV.
Maverick Boats and Lindsay Marine has donated a fully rigged 2008 Hewes 18-foot Redfisher flats boat with a 115 hp Yamaha Four Stroke and Ameritrailer aluminum trailer.
We all know times are tight, but those that are grateful for good fishing might want to break open the piggy bank for some spare change to go to a good cause.
And by the way, for the price of a ticket, you still get that steak dinner.
For more on CCA Florida visit http://www.ccaflorida.org/.
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