Category: Sapelo

By Chester Moore, Jr. TIDE March/April 2016

As the water warms up, be aware of the little bug with a big bite. It is the most insidious threat facing coastal anglers in the United States. With a death rate of up to 30 percent, this force is not only deadly but is invisible to the naked eye. It is Vibrio , a bacteria that thrives in saltwater and annually catches numerous anglers by surprise in terrifying fashion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Continue reading “The Invisible Threat- Article from Mar-Apr TIDE Magazine”

State moves to ramp up funding for marine habitat
House of Representatives approves measure to direct
new license tag funding to Georgia coast

ATLANTA, GA – A measure carried by Rep. Alex Attwood (St. Simons) to strengthen the state wildlife license tag program was approved by the House last week and now needs only the companion bill carried by Sen. Ben Watson (Savannah) to pass the Senate to open the door for additional funding of coastal habitat projects. Coastal Conservation Association Georgia is the sponsor for HB 736 and has high hopes for the potential of the legislation. “We are truly grateful to Rep. Attwood and Sen. Watson for their work on behalf of recreational angling and our marine resources. HB 736 will ensure that the wildlife license tag program will be able to grow and sustain itself far into the future,” said Brooks Binder, chairman of CCA Georgia’s Government Relations Committee. “We have a great opportunity to provide our citizens, particularly those with an interest in our coastal area, with a new wildlife tag to provide voluntary funding for marine habitat conservation, restoration, and enhancement.” HB 736 will be a simple amendment to the existing program to direct $19 of every wildlife tag to a restricted fund administered by the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, $1 paid to the local tag-issuing authority, and $5 to the General Fund. The Marine Habitat Conservation Fund administered by CRD would be used exclusively for projects to restore and enhance marine habitats through oyster reef creation, construction of manmade reefs along the shorelines of tidal rivers and creeks, and construction of manmade reefs in the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to providing habitat for aquatic species, these projects also provide nursery and foraging areas of many reptile, bird and mammal species. Oyster reefs also help stabilize shorelines protecting them from the effects of storm erosion. None of the restricted funds will be used for administrative, overhead or salary costs. “We believe that the marine habitat conservation tag is a great opportunity to enact smart public policy that does not require any new tax revenue or allocation of existing tax revenue from other programs,” said Binder. If all goes well and the coastal license tag becomes reality, CCA Georgia is ready with a recommendation for what the image on the tag should be. “The red drum is Georgia’s state saltwater fish and was given gamefish status by CCA Georgia efforts with the Georgia Legislature a few years ago,” said Binder. “Given the popularity of this species with anglers and its reliance of the marine habitats to be conserved by the funds generated by this tag, we think that this iconic fish would be a fantastic candidate for the first coastal tag.” ### BROOKS SCHOEN bsgofish@gmail.com 404-786-1626 M

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Don’t Wait! Help CCA raise $12,000 to implement Joe’s Cut reef enhancement. Two of our four committed habitat projects (the Savannah Reef Enhancement and the Henry Vassa Cate piling reconstruction off Jekyll Island) were completed in 2015 at a cost of $34,200 to CCA GA. The next up of the final two projects is the Joe’s Cut reef enhancement scheduled to be completed in the April/May time frame and will require us to raise an additional $12,000. Joe’s Cut inshore artificial reef is located in Wassaw Sound. This reef was constructed in the 1980s but materials are mostly now covered in sediment. The intention is to deploy 50 Fish Attracting Devices (FADs) like the one shown below: Various forms of marine life will colonize these structures and should create improved fishing opportunities in this popular and easily accessed location. Thus far in 2016, we have received about $1300 in CCA member donations to go towards this project, so we need about $10,700 to get Joe’s Cut implemented by the April timeframe. So, we’re asking you, our CCA members, to again consider making a tax free contribution (CCA GA is a 501C3 organization so all donations are tax deductible) to help us obtain these needed funds. And, we have an easy way for you to make your contribution. Please click on the “Donate Now” button above or below and follow the instructions to make an on-line contribution or to obtain a Habitat Project Donation form to fill-out and mail in. Thank you for your consideration of this request. We will keep you posted on our progress of meeting our goal of making the reef enhancement at Joe’s Cut a reality.

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