CCA Speaks out on the plight of Bluefin Tuna
HOUSTON, TX - The Coastal Conservation Association Board of Directors is calling for Atlantic harvest levels of bluefin tuna to be reduced to levels supported by science and is urging the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to require all member nations to adopt such quotas by emergency action. Read the rest of this story here - Bluefin on the Brink.The Stripers are here!
Join CCA at one of this year's catch & release striper tournaments:Monday, June 23 - 5:00AM to 2:00PM--Dockside Striper Tournament. Don't miss the captain's party Sunday the 22nd at 5:00PM.
June 21-July 26 --First Annual Penobscot River Striped Bass Tournament. Come out and help us gather some valuable information about the Penobscot's striper population.
Thanks for helping to make CCA Maine's 2008 Casco Bay Banquet a big hit
It was great to get out and talk fishing on a night that felt more like February than late March. A lot of folks went home with some great gear and art, and a few lucky bidders will have the anticipation of the trips they won to keep them warm until the fish show up.
Tuna Night a huge success
Thanks again to Nat & Derek from First Light Anglers and to Captain John Ford for sharing some hard-won knowledge about this new and excitying fishery.
Gill Nets on the New Meadows River
Untended gill nets used primarily by lobstermen to catch bait are indiscriminate killers of fish (including striped bass), marine birds and animals. As such, they have been banned on some Maine rivers.The gill net ban on the New Meadows River expired at the end of 2007 and the Maine Department of Marine Resources has proposed an extension, this time without any 'sunset clause' attached.
CCA Maine fully supports the DMR proposal. It is important not only as a spot regulation to stop striped bass bycatch, but as a model to be used whenever similar bycatch issues develop elsewhere in the state's tidal waters.
There will be a public hearing on the New Meadows River regulations at the Boothbay DMR facility on January 23. If you cannot attend the meeting and want to support the gill net ban, contact your local state representative(s) and voice your opinion.
Focus on access:
With your help, CCA Maine can be an even more effective advocate for access. Right now we are compiling a list of the areas most in need of coastline improvements, and we need to hear from you. Please let us know where you think Maine needs public access to the tidewater by filling out our online form, or by e-mailing ccamaine@gmail.com.
President Bush Signs Executive Order to Protect Striped Bass and Red Drum
President George W. Bush signs an Executive Order to protect the striped bass and red drum fish populations Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. President Bush is joined during the signing by, from left, Michael Nussman, president of American Sportfishing Association; Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever; David Pfeifer, president of Shimano America Corp.; Walter Fondren, chairman of Coastal Conservation Association; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland and U.S. Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne. White House photo by Eric Draper.
You can read the text of the order on the Whitehouse webpage here