Fisheries Fund awards over $10,000 to projects representing four different regions across the country.
(Photo credit clockwise from top-left: Paul Restuccia, BTT, Ken Morrish, Bryan Gregson)
Now in its fifth year of supporting groups from all over the country who are doing the yeoman’s work to preserve and protect our fisheries and bring more people to our sport, the AFFTA Fisheries Fund is strong out of the gate for 2019, selecting four grant recipients from a field of 9 worthy applicants:
- Stripers Forever’s efforts to conserve wild striped bass through its Release a Breeder Club program, which promotes the release of large “breeding size” stripers which are mostly female fish.
- Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s research in tracking migrating permit to determine the effectiveness and potential connection of the Special Permit Zone to the Florida Keys fishery.
- Guiding 4 the Future’s initiative to develop a dedicated stewardship of aquatic ecosystems while increasing knowledge, professionalism, and ethics in fishing guides and the fly fishing industry.
- Wild Salmon Center’s efforts to recolonize spring-run chinook post-dam removal in the Upper Klamath Basin.
“We’re very excited to get behind the efforts of these groups,” says Tom Melvin, Fisheries Fund Chair. “Each project truly represents the spirit of conservation and education that the Fisheries Fund was created to support.”
“To see a growing number of high-quality applicants and meaningful projects like we did this year is a testament to how much our industry cares about taking care of our natural resources,” adds Ben Bulis, AFFTA president. “We’re proud to play a small role in helping them do great great work.”
If you would like to support these or future Fisheries Fund grant recipients, your gift today will make a difference for generations to come.
