News & Events

Increased reefing of offshore energy platforms critical to Gulf habitat

WASHINGTON DC – The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing on May 17 entitled “Reviewing Recent State Successes with the Rigs to Reefs Program” that will examine how well such programs are working to allow energy companies to transform outdated structures into valuable marine habitat. Invited to present on various aspects of the program are Dr. Greg Stunz, Endowed Chair, Fisheries and Ocean Health, Director, Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation, and Professor of Marine Biology Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies and Dale Shively, Artificial Reef Program Leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

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CCA testifies before Congress on red snapper fiasco
Three-day season in 2017 marks new low in federal management of popular fishery

Washington, D.C. – May 2, 2017 — On the same day that NOAA Fisheries announced the shortest recreational red snapper season in history, Mark Ray, chairman of CCA Texas, was testifying before a Congressional hearing on dismal federal management of the fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Ray told the House Subcommittee on Interior, Energy and the Environment, chaired by Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas), that red snapper is a man-made fishery management disaster.

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U.S. Reps. Graves, Green, Webster and Wittman Champion Federal Saltwater Fisheries Reform

Washington, D.C. – April 6, 2017 – The recreational fishing and boating community praised the introduction of a bill that addresses critical challenges facing saltwater recreational fishing at the federal level. Led by Congressmen Garret Graves (R-La.), Gene Green (D-Texas), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the “Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017” (Modern Fish Act) would improve public access to America’s federal waters, promote conservation of our natural marine resources and spur economic growth. Read More

Recently Jeff Angers submitted an opinion piece in Sport Fishing Magazine where he explains how the privatization of public marine resources is growing at an alarming rate. Click Here to find out exactly how South Atlantic federal fishery managers are setting the stage to manage several popular species in a style similar to controversial Gulf of Mexico red snapper management.