Giving Thanks for Conservation

THE LIVE AUCTION IS COMPLETE!

LIVE AUCTION WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED WITH BOOKING INFORMATION ONCE PAID VIA CCAMD.ORG/LIVEAUCTION

THE SILENT AUCTION & INSTANT BUYS WILL CLOSE DEC. 3 @ 10PM

SILENT AUCTION & INSTANT BUY WINNERS WILL BE PROMPTED TO PAY AFTER THE AUCTION CLOSE.  THEY WILL ALSO RECEIVE A MESSAGE REGARDING FULFILLMENT OF THEIR WINNINGS BY SHIPPING AT BUYERS EXPENSE OR PICK UP AT NUMEROUS LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT CCA.  

This year I'm giving thanks to our dedicated members, generous sponsors, donors and tremendous partners in conservation.  Thanks to you, 2021 has been a year full of important mission focused work for CCA Maryland. 

This past spring, CCA Maryland returned to outdoor reef ball building activities and continued this important on-land work throughout the remainder of the year.  Thanks to new and growing partnerships, we expanded our reef ball building efforts on the Eastern Shore, a region that will be a continued focus in 2022.

On the water, CCA Maryland set a program record with five different deployments of reef balls and other donated materials.  Starting with the Magothy River in January and continuing to the south throughout the year, reefs were deployed at Chesapeake Beach, Janes Island(twice!) and at the Tilghman reef.   This work was made possible by multiple partnerships that will continue to grow as we move into the next year.  

CCA Maryland leaders have been hard at work focusing on the future of our fisheries.  Striped bass are in trouble and  managers must be proactive and do what is necessary to turn this iconic species around.  This is a tough task and to be successful, we must focus on putting the resource first, lead with science, and place meaningful limits on the catch the Atlantic coast's most important game fish.  The Great Chesapeake Invasives Count is another way that anglers are helping grow our understanding of invasive catfish and northern snakeheads, two relatively new inhabitants for many parts of the Chesapeake Bay.   While much is left to be learned about these new fish, and there are surely divergent views about the best future for them, CCA Maryland will continue to reward you for submitting your catch data and helping share what you're seeing while on the water.  If you're not an angler, give blue catfish or northern snakehead a try for your next meal.  I promise you won't be disappointed.  

As you take this time to give thanks, please introduce your family and friends to CCA, renew your membership, donate, and enjoy bidding on some great items.  If weather and your schedule allows, don't forget to take the chance to head to the water and give thanks the best way there is, putting a bend in a fishing rod.

Tight Lines, 

David Sikorski

Executive Director

[email protected]