OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The stated purpose of CCA is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources.  The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of these coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public.

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 Press Release

 

Coastal Conservation Association

On Wednesday April 15, 2008 The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) voted to allow commercial fishermen to harvest of four (4) red drum per day. This is changed from the seven (7) fish limit for commercial fishermen.  Commercial fishermen were allocated a total catch of 250,000 pounds during the 2008 calendar year.  Evidence showed that commercial fishermen in the Wanchese area targeted schools of Red Drum during the winter months and harvested so many red drum that the 250,000 pound cap for all commercial fishermen in North Carolina for 2008 has already been exceeded according to some estimates.  This means that all red drum harvested by commercial fishermen for the more than seven remaining months of 2008 will be in excess of the 250,000 pounds. The four fish limit recognizes that there will be Red Drum caught as by-catch while fishing for other species such as trout and flounder and that it would be better for those fish to be used than be thrown back into the water dead.

At the request of the Red Drum Advisory Committee, which is largely dominated by CCA members, the MFC established a “Fall” season which will extend from September 1 through May 1 and a “Summer” season which will extend from May 1 to September 1.  Commercial fishermen will have a fall cap of 150,000 pounds as an allowable catch and will have a summer cap of 100,000 pounds.  The poundage of Red Drum caught under the cap set for the fall or the poundage of Red Drum caught over the cap set for the Fall will be added or deleted from the Summer allocation as needed so that the 250,000 pound total allowable catch will not be exceeded.

CCA is pleased with changes made by the MFC in attendance requirements for small mesh gill nets.  CCA pushed for the attendance requirements so that these nets would be checked more often and that living red drum and other by-catch species might possibly be released before dying in the nets.  The changes were as follows:

1.                          In the Neuse and its tributaries small mesh gill nets must be attended at all times if set within 200 yards of the shoreline.

2.                          West of a line from the mouth of the Neuse River to Roos Point (this would include the Pungo, Pamlico and other tributaries of Bays therein) small mesh gill nets must be attended from May 1 to November 30 when set within 200 yards from the shoreline.

3.                          East of the line described in number 2 above, small mesh gill nets must be attended from May 1 to November 30 when set 50 yards from the shoreline.

4.                          South of the Hwy 58 Bridge small mesh gill nets must be attended from May 1 to September 30.

Other changes made are as follows:

No gigging.  The MFC passed a new regulation that no Red Drum may be harvested by gigging or spearing.

Circle Hooks required. MFC mandated circle hooks be used by fishermen in the Pamlico Sound and its tributaries from July 1 to September 30. 

Daily bag/by-catch limits remain status quo. The one fish per day rule for recreational fishermen and the 7 fish by-catch limit within a size range of 18 to 27 inches remained the same.  The exception is this year where the aforementioned 4 fish rule will remain in effect until the end of the season (Aug 31).

With regards to large mesh gill nets (flounder nets) the MFC made one very positive change in that large mesh gill nets must not be set within 10 yards of the shoreline.  This is statewide.  This new rule is in effect from May 1 through November 1.  The MFC limited this from May 1 to November despite the Red Drum Advisory Committee’s request that this be year round.

No changes were made to attendance requirements for large mesh gill nets.

CCA recognizes the positive changes made by the MFC.  Also, CCA wishes to thank its members who served on the Red Drum Advisory Committee.

Andrew Boyd

Chairman, Communications Committee

Coastal Conservation Association

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  News Release

 Coastal Conservation Association

        6919 Portwest,

Suite 100
, Houston, TX 77024

      Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Website: www.joincca.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2008                                         CONTACT: Ted Venker, 1-800-201-FISH

CCA Testifies Before Congress against Fish Pirates

Remarks focus on need for market controls to combat IUU fishing

WASHINGTON, DC – CCA General Counsel Robert G. Hayes testified before the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans today, and called on Congress to initiate agreements to control the international markets for seafood to put an end to IUU fishing.

“There are three distinct areas that need better compliance,” said Hayes. “First, is the continued problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.  Second, is the need for regional fishery management organizations to enforce rules against their own members, and third is the need for transparency in the national implementation of adopted conservation measures, such as those that the shark-fining bill addresses.”

Hayes urged Congress to initiate international measures for those three scenarios that are enforceable through the imposition of trade measures, including the embargo of all related fishery products from the offending country. 

“The US must consider the failure of any member country to impose trade measures as an IUU act,” he said. “We as a country have to take these violations seriously and act on them.”

International fisheries measures now in place depend on the integrity of the nation states to implement them and not every nation has the same view of its obligation as the United States. Hayes encouraged Congress to pass legislation that requires the State Department to verify the implementation of every regional fishery management organization (RFMO) measure by member states. If a member fails to do so, the U.S. could identify the country and eventually impose market measures.

“All of this may sound daunting, but it is the process now in place,” Hayes said. “If Congress wants to make the system work, there must be legislation requiring the U.S. to initiate an international agreement for market controls to ensure compliance with RFMO measures. We have had similar agreements for textiles, coffee and listed species. The application of market controls produces discipline in the exploitation of natural resources. The problems facing our fisheries are more acute and right off our coast, and CCA believes the time has come to take a more proactive approach.”

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ROBERT G. HAYES
CCA General Counsel

Mr. Hayes is an alumnus of Boston University (B.S. 1968) and the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University (J.D. 1974).  He was a U.S. Army Infantry Lieutenant from 1968-1971.  Mr. Hayes was an attorney for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).  During that time he was NOAA's Southeast Regional Counsel and NMFS' Deputy General Counsel for Fisheries.  From 1981 to 1984 he was the Director of the NMFS Office of Industry Services.  As Director of Industry Services, he was the primary negotiator for the United States on bilateral fishery trade negotiations with Japan, Korea, Spain, France, and Portugal, and a member of the U.S. delegation on the U.S.-Japan Sub-cabinet Committee on Trade.  Mr. Hayes has been in private practice from 1984 to 2007 and practices in the areas of fisheries, natural resources, energy and international trade.  While in private practice Mr. Hayes has represented numerous recreational fishing organizations including the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association, United Sport Fishermen, the Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus Foundation, the Gulf Coast Conservation Association, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the Future Fisherman Foundation, FishAmerica Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, The Billfish Foundation, the Coastal Conservation Association and the Center for Coastal Conservation.    He is presently a U.S. Commissioner to ICCAT and is a member of the Vermont and District of Columbia Bars.

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