Coastal Conservation Association of NH (CCANH)

Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is an organization of strong state chapters comprised of avid recreational fishermen who have banded together to address conservation issues nationally and within their respective states.

The outdoor sports enthusiasts and conservationists who make up the organization recognize that only a concerted, on-going effort of major proportions will save the natural resources of our coastal waters from certain depletion or destruction. They are dedicated to preventing that from happening through programs of education, legislation and restoration.

The group had its beginning in 1977 in Texas, where CCA Texas was formed by concerned anglers who were alarmed by declining fish populations. They were made painfully aware of the inherent dangers brought on by dramatically increased commercial fishing pressure and from growing numbers of recreational anglers.

CCA and its state organizations are engaged in scientific studies, scholarship funding, artificial reefs, hatcheries, contaminant studies, hydrology studies, fresh water inflows, support of local enforcement agencies and many others.

CCA swept across the Gulf States in eight years: First to Alabama (1982) and Louisiana (1984), then to Mississippi and Florida (1985). The Atlantic coast presence of CCA Florida meant a surge up the east coast, where CCA chapters were formed in South Carolina (1986), Georgia (1987), Virginia and North Carolina (1989). This expansion continued northward with the formation of CCA state chapters in Maine (1994), Massachusetts and Maryland (1995), Connecticut and New York (1996) and New Hampshire (1998).

Nationally, CCA has led or shared in the efforts to stop the disastrous netting of redfish in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the over fishing of kingfish. Another CCA success was the key role played in obtaining a Federal Management Plan for Atlantic billfish. CCA has played an important part in the ongoing recovery of striped bass and the elimination of destructive fishing gear. The organization continues to focus on the Magnuson Act, to ensure that conservation concerns are appropriately addressed. The involvement of CCA in the Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission remains a high priority.

CCA and its state organizations are engaged in hundreds of different programs and projects relating to conservation at all times. These programs and projects include scientific studies, scholarship funding, artificial reefs, hatcheries, contaminant studies, hydrology studies, fresh water inflows, support of local enforcement agencies and many others. But their sights are all trained on the same overall objectives: First, protect the resource, and then improve the current and future fishing for everyone.

Accomplishments of the CCA NH Chapter:

• Good Access: CCANH assisted in the purchase of land to provide additional public access to coastal waters. NH Fish & Game, US Fish & Wildlife Service and CCANH participated in the purchase of this site located off Route 1B on the south side of Goat Island in Newcastle, NH.
• Clean Water: CCANH was appointed to the Great Bay Estuary Commission to provide input on a regional study to the Seacoast’Äôs sewerage problem. We continue to monitor progress on inadequate sewerage treatment in the Piscataqua River.
• Great Fishing: CCANH has hosted three successful Tuna Mania seminars at the Red Hook Brewery in Portsmouth. Over 500 people attended these events to learn more about the growing BluefinTuna fishery. We also donate proceeds to the Large Pelagics Research Center to assist in Bluefin Tuna research.
• Restoration of Migratory Fish Spawning Grounds: CCANH provided funds and volunteer effort to the Pickering Brook Saltmarsh Restoration Project to benefit coastal fish stocks and reduce mosquito populations.
• Dam Removal: CCANH has donated thousands of dollars to the removal of selected dams in the Great Bay watershed and Merrimac River that block movements of migratory fish.
• Youth Outreach: Each year’Äì CCANH and Seacoast Big Brothers Big Sisters host a fishing trip on the Atlantic Queen for 25 youths and their sponsors followed by a cookout at Wallis Sands Beach. Additionally, we sponsor two students to Camp Ocean Adventures.

Learn more about Coastal Conservation Association of NH (CCANH) by visiting their web site: www.ccanh.org