Accomplishments

Recent CCA Alabama marine conservation victories are having a significant, direct impact on Alabama’s recreational fishery.

Together we have:

  • Donated $65,000 to Department of Marine Resources Fish Hatchery to support Flounder Spawning Program (2018)
  • Launched TAG Alabama, the first recreational fish tagging research program in the state with partners University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (2018)
  • Supported Fairhope High School Fishing Team in 2017, 2018, and 2019
  • Funded and assisted in organizing the donation of over 500 Tons of concrete pipe and other concrete material donated by Forterra Company. CCA AL paid for the transportation (16 semi-truck loads from Mobile to Gulf Shores) and paid for the Crane rental/operator to unload the materials at the AL MRD storage yard in Gulf Shores. 
  • Donated 200 Trash Grabber stocks to the Alabama Coastal Cleanup to allow volunteers to reach trash stuck in areas of sawgrass and wetland areas. (September 2018)
  • Assisted Alabama MRD in collaboration with the Saltwater Finnadicts Inshore Championship Tournament to collect live Flounder for the states’ hatchery program in Gulf Shores. (August 2018)
  • Organized Snapper Check Promotional contest to help increase participation in the states reporting efforts to gather better data on the amount of Red Snapper our Alabama anglers harvest each season. (June 2018)
  • Organized Camp Rap-A-Hope Kids Fishing Day and Siblings weekends for children who have either had cancer or currently battling cancer and their siblings. (June/September 2018) All campers went home with fishing rod combos
  • Sponsored the Recreational division for the Alabama Marine Resources 2018 Lion Fish Rodeo. (Summer 2018)
  • Sponsored the Kids Win Fishing Rodeo at the Wharf in Orange Beach (April 2018)
  • AL MRD Crab Trap Cleanup in the Mobile Delta, provided lunch and prizes to participants (March 2018)
  • Funded Transportation and Storage of reefing material donated by Forterra Pipe Company and South Alabama Brick Co. Materials 
  • CCA Pelican Bay Reef off Dauphin Island (Spring 2017)
  • Bernie Heggeman Memorial reef off of Dauphin Island (Spring 2017) $150,000 Contribution from CCA Alabama
  • Partnered with Alabama Wildlife Federation and AL-MRD to develop the AL Reefs artificial reef plan and website www.alreefs.com to assist with securing more funding for AL reef program.  To date, the program has received $30,000,000 in oil spill funds.
  • Funded a portion of the Alabama Marine Resources Canine Program to assist AMRD with enforcement of State and Federal Fisheries regulations (2015). Alabama MRD K-9 Program Story
  • Funded Tarpon study with the University of South Alabama to determine the migration of mature tarpon off the coast of Alabama in 2014 and currently being expanded for 2015 additional tags.
  • Donated $150,000 to Inshore and Offshore reef projects in AL in partnership with AL-MRD (2013)
  • Supported the Rigs to Reef program and opposed the Idle Iron imitative to remove idle offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that provide habitat for marine fish (2012)
  • Donated $81,500 to build the Bayou Cour Reef in Mobile Bay in conjunction with the AL-MRD (2012)
  • Established CCA Alabama license tag which allocates 75% of all proceeds to marine conservation projects (2009)
  • Helped finance the building of a 3,000- ton inshore reef north of Ono Island (2006)
  • Supported legislation to buy out licenses of active gill netters and to not allow new licenses to be issued (2008)
  • Partnered in operation REEFEX, cooperative effort involving Department of Defense, AL-MRD, and CCA to deploy over 100 Korean War Army Tanks in Gulf of Mexico for artificial reef habitat (1994)
  • Trained over 125 Coast Watch volunteers and instituted a reward program for persons who are instrumental in the arrest of those involved in violating laws designed to protect our marine resources. 
  • Established the Joe Bullard, SR. CCA Graduate Fellowship Fund at University of South Alabama to sponsor Master Student in Marine Biology Scholarship
  • Supported regulation to enact game fish status for blue and white marlin, sued to have them classified as overfished and to prevent overfishing by long liners; and helped draft and pass the first ever comprehensive long line management bill in Congress
  • Supported regulation to enact game fish status for speckled trout and redfish (1984)
  • Supported closure of Blakeley and Appalachee Rivers to shrimping (1987)
  • Worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service to better manage our offshore fish populations
  • Supported regulation to enact game fish status and a tag program for tarpon (1993)
  • Supported closure of shrimping on shallow grass beds in Mobile Bay (2004)
  • Opposed potential drilling of a shallow gas well in Grand Bay by Duncan Oil (2005)
  • Opposed construction of two open loop LNG terminals in the Gulf of Mexico off Alabama (2006)
  • Supported regulation on size and creel limit for founder (2008)
  • Supported increasing the limits of fines for fisheries violations
  • Supported Regulation on size and creel limits for sheepshead and blackfish (2012)
  • Funded Tarpon study with the University of South Alabama to determine the migration of mature tarpon off the coast of Alabama in 2014 and currently being expanded for 2015 additional tags.
  • Opposed construction of two open loop LNG terminals in the Gulf of Mexico off Alabama (2006)
  • Supported legislation to buy out licenses of active gill netters and to not allow new licenses to be issued (2008)