It's far better to have sport anglers to initiate a conservation measure than to wait when the resource hits devcon 5, letting the Restaurant Assoc and commercial interests dictate policy. Note the fight for Snapper limits recently. (BTW, CCA has been on the forefront to help bring in a second season for sport fishermen.)
By allowing research and applied scientific data to be presented from the sportsman's point of view..not that of commercial interests, we stand to have a more favorable outcome.
I do not serve on any type of committees for CCA at this time. However, I was a charter member of CCA helping start the Acadiana chapter here in Lafayette. There was a clarity of purpose at the beginning....Remove the gill nets and make red fish and specs a game fish along with accepting new state creel limits on both.
The fight went nowhere for the first 2 years. Success was only achieved by hiring a strong lobbying firm and support on a political front. CCA today is heavily involved in the political arena; this is where the fight is for our resources.
If CCA was to abandon the State today, you would see the start-up of commercial harvesting of reds and specs the next year in our waters. Every year in the legislature, CCA has to fight bills that are attached at the last minute with commercial interests trying to overturn what the sports have accomplished.
I do not agree 100% with issues CCA takes up these days but for the overall good of our resources I still and will support the effort.
BTW, great thread Meaux. These issues need to be discussed by fellow sportsmen. Perhaps a more clear objective from our view point can be achieved and presented to the State CCA board.
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