Hunters and fishermen were the first and remain the best conservationists, simply because we are the ones who are on the ground and in or near the waters, where we see the effects of man’s inability to control his greed when it comes to destroying the natural habitat along with the animals that can bring him great profit. Unfortunately, it takes people who have the political power to get things done in the halls of government to make the changes necessary to conserve our natural resources.
The founding of the Coastal Conservation Association in Texas is an excellent example. In 1977, 14 concerned fishermen began what is now the Coastal Conservation Association of Texas. What their history on Facebook does not tell you is those 14 fishermen were very wealthy. One had a strong interest in Exxon, and another was the father-in-law of the secretary of state under George W. Bush.
In 1989, I moved to Virginia Beach to take the job of executive director of the Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia. My first assignment was to spend two weeks in Texas to learn how a CCA chapter should operate. And boy, did I learn.
The Houston Chapter ran a fundraising banquet with about 200 very well-heeled Texans. Only men were invited, and there was a two-hour happy hour with only peanuts and booze. By the time the auction began, these guys would have bought anything the lovely ladies were showing them. The event raised $165,000, and that was in 1989!
I lasted a little over a year before I got in trouble with the brass in Texas. Seems they wanted me to conform to their way or the highway. I took the highway.
While I didn’t agree with how Texas treated my fundraising ideas, I completely agree with their conservation ideas. They work with, not against, the government agencies that control our fisheries. They use political power (money) to bring pressure on the agencies, and this has worked out well for the resource. What it amounts to is, you can catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar.
We are about to enter a series of public hearings on several species that are important to recreational fishermen. Black sea bass, scup (porgies), summer flounder, striped bass and bluefish will all be up for regulation changes in the coming months.
I can promise you there will be some preservationists who will push for making striped bass a gamefish or, worse yet, putting it on the endangered species list. Neither of these is a good idea. Gamefish status is bad because it puts Delaware commercial fishermen at a loss, since striped bass are their No. 1 profitable finfish. They are under very strict quotas, as every fish that is legally caught and sold is accounted for.
New Jersey has listed striped bass as a gamefish. Then they took the commercial quota and gave it to the recreational fishermen. Real conservationists, those New Jersey recreational fishermen.
Then there is the very bad data that the fish counters are using to cut back on the amount of black sea bass recreational fishermen will be allowed to keep. The Marine Recreational Information Program numbers for black sea bass are ridiculous, and while I have pointed this out at several public hearings along with a few other people, it has made no difference.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a CCA in Delaware. A couple of people have tried, but they didn’t have the base of wealthy backers you need to get a chapter up and running. I would like to see a large turnout of recreational fishermen at the public hearings, but if that happens, it will be the first time. I will publish the dates and times of the hearings, but in the meantime, please go online and look at the MRIP numbers for black sea bass for Delaware. While you are at it, check out the numbers for flounder, bluefish and scup. Once you see how bad they are, I hope you will join me in protesting their use in restricting the number of fish we are allowed to catch.
Two tournaments
The annual Joe Morris Memorial Canal Flounder Tournament will be held Friday, May 20. As always, the event will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Right now, Amanda Morris has some absolutely beautiful floating jigs made by TinMan Tackle available in the shop. They have been donated to the tournament, and all proceeds from their sale will also go to the network. I bought five Friday.
Brandy Timmons is already hard at work making the trophies for the Cast for A Cure surf tournament that will be held Saturday, May 21. Teams of four will compete for the trophies, and all entry fees benefit Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center Patient Special Needs Fund.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
