In Honor of World Oceans Day, West Marine Awards $30,000 in Marine Conservation Grants to Non-Profit Organizations Across the Country
WATSONVILLE, Calif., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of World Oceans Day, West Marine (Nasdaq: WMAR), the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, today announced the recipients of their annual Marine Conservation Grants program. Grants for a total amount of $30,000 are being awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to “improve and protect marine habitat,” which is part of West Marine’s mission. This year’s grant recipients are located in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland and California.
“We are proud to support recreational boating and fishing groups and marine environmental groups who are working together for abundant and healthy fisheries,” said Randy Repass, Chairman of the Board and Founder of West Marine. “The work of these organizations will benefit recreational fishing, sustainable commercial fishing and help to develop a healthy fish resource and sustainable use of the resource.”
The Recipients of the West Marine Conservation Grants for
2011:
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Florida -The Snook & Gamefish Foundation's Angler
Action Program: The Snook & Gamefish Foundation is
committed to education, conservation and research, to
assure game fish for tomorrow. They believe that a
brighter future for all fisheries is in the hands of
informed anglers, who will take proactive steps to
increase, not just maintain, healthy habitats and
1. fish stocks.
The Angler Action Program, a partnership between the
Florida Wildlife Commission and the Snook & Gamefish
Foundation, is an outreach to every angler in the state
of Florida. Funds will support angler data collection,
outreach, education and a how-to video. For more
information on the program go to www.snookfoundation.org
.
North Carolina - Coastal Conservation Association
(CCA): A non-profit grass roots organization with
nearly 3,000 members in North Carolina dedicated to
conservation of North Carolina's marine resources.
The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and
enhance the present and future availability of these
2. resources.
The funds will be used to work with PenderWatch to build
12 oyster reefs to stabilize an important but badly
eroding island near Hamsptead, North Carolina. The site
is now closed due to pollution from storm water runoff.
Working with PenderWatch, a local non-profit, 2,000
bushels of oyster shells will be put in the water to
help jump start new, bigger natural oyster reefs, which
will rejuvenate the waters. For more information visit
www.ccanc.org or www.penderwatch.org .
New Jersey -Atlantic Tuna Project: The Project is
dedicated to promoting the catch, tag and release of
Atlantic tunas within the recreational fishing
sector. Atlantic bluefin and yellowfin tuna are
under incredible pressure. The recreational sector
can play a vital role in contributing to the overall
knowledge base by adopting a tag and release culture.
Collecting data on the tuna that recreational
fishermen catch is critical. To date NOAA has little
3. data coming about these tuna populations.
The funds will be used to educate anglers about the
benefits of tagging and to help new members adopt
tagging. The program drives both charter and private
boats to request free tags from NOAA's Cooperative
Tagging Center, and is a source of education to learn
how to tag tuna safely. For more information go to
www.savethebluefin.com .
Maryland - Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) & the
Maryland Saltwater Sportsfishermen's Association
(MSSA): The CBF is the only conservation
organization dedicated solely to the restoration and
protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and
streams. The funds will support a partnership with
the Maryland Saltwater Sportsfishermen's Association
from Dorchester County to enhance the native oyster
population and increase available fish habitat in the
Choptank River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
MSSA will construct 66 reef balls with help from
citizen volunteers in Cambridge, Maryland. CBF will
transport the reef balls to their oyster restoration
facility in Shadyside, Maryland to grow oyster spat
(juvenile oysters) on the reef balls. Once these tiny
oysters have grown to approximately the size of a
fingernail, the oyster-set reef balls will be
transplanted onto Cook's Point reef - an existing
oyster sanctuary in the Choptank River. For more on
these organizations visit www.cbf.org or www.mssa.net
4. .
California -Save The Bay: Save The Bay is the largest
regional organization working to protect and restore
San Francisco Bay. Each year, they engage more than
25,000 supporters, advocates and volunteers to
protect the Bay, and inspire the next generation of
environmental leaders by educating thousands of
5. students.
Funds will support the Community-Based Restoration
Program (CBR) and will help to restore and enhance vital
San Francisco Bay tidal marsh habitat. Thousands of
local residents, including West Marine Customers and
Associates can play a significant part in 225 community-
based restoration projects including 6 shoreline sites.
To get involved visit www.savesfbay.org/community-
based-restoration .
Florida - Mote Marine Lab (MML): Located on the
Sarasota Bay, MML is dedicated to excellence in
marine, estuarine and environmental research and
education. Funds will be used to replace failing
instruments that are monitoring the health of the
Sarasota Bay. Additional information on MML is
6. available at www.mote.org .
California - The Sportfishing Conservancy: The goal
of the Sportfishing Conservancy is to encourage
accountable, responsible recreational angling. Funds
will be used to encourage Catch & Release fishing
trips in Southern California ports, primarily Long
Beach and Santa Barbara. The purpose is to change
angler attitudes and encourage a lighter footprint by
re-defining a successful fishing day. For more
7. information go to www.sportcon.org.
Marine Conservation Grants are awarded through a formal application process in which interested organizations must submit their proposal directly to West Marine. All applications are reviewed by the Marine Conservation Action Team. Those applying must show sound financial policies and management with a key focus in marine conservation, habitat restoration and sustainable fisheries. These activities may cover water clean-up, habitat protection and restoration, ocean science and conservation projects that relate to key marine species, water quality, sustainable ocean use, etc.
Since 1994, West Marine has donated over $4,600,000 to non-profit organizations that support youth boating, boating safety and the marine environment. For more information about the Marine Conservation Grants program, please visit www.westmarine.com.
About West Marine
West Marine, (Nasdaq:WMAR) the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has more than 320 company-owned stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada and three franchised stores located in Turkey. Our call center and Internet channels offer Customers over 60,000 products plus the convenience of exchanging catalog and Internet purchases at our Store locations. Our Port Supply division is one of the largest wholesale distributors of marine equipment serving boat manufacturers, marine services, commercial vessel operators and government agencies. For more information on West Marine’s products and store locations, or to start shopping, visit westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING (1-800-262-8464).
SOURCE West Marine
