CCADIAMOND AT WORK
A
LL FOUR POINTS OF CCA’S DIAMOND — communica- tions, fundraising, advocacy and membership — come into play during an inci-
dent like the illegal netting in the Chesapeake Bay. For CCA Maryland, the scope and intensity of the reaction proved how each of those points is critical to a successful response.
COMMUNICATIONS
One of the key results of Friedrich’s quick action on Feb. 1 when the first ille- gal net was found, was that he was one of only two individuals at the site with a camera. That meant photos and video could be placed on the CCA Maryland web site immediately and provided to the news media to increase the number of people who saw the images. The chapter ended up producing four electronic newsletters dedicated to
The visibility of the issue attracted new members who liked the chapter’s decisive action.
the issue, participated in a DNR-hosted news conference, made photos and video available to the news media, and posted You Tube videos of the destruc- tion, all of which increased both the visibility of the issue and the likelihood that action would be taken to correct it.
MEMBERSHIP
CCAMaryland also found that deci- sive action can bring unexpected bene- fits. Almost instantly, more members volunteered for leadership positions in the local chapters, and support for ban- quets grew noticeably. The visibility of the issue attracted new members who liked the chapter’s decisive action. Michael Kirby had been a CCA mem
TIDE
When the gill netting was brought up, we showed them photos of the confiscated fish and nets, and we had the chance to explain the impact of the poaching.
ber for 10 years and attended and vol- unteered at several banquets as well as youth fishing derbies, but admits he never considered a leadership role until now. “When the gill net issue arose, and I saw the decisive action the Maryland chapter took, I felt a great deal of pride,” he said. “I learned how gill nets impacted recreational fishing from the materials CCA Maryland sent us, and saw that this was an organization I wanted to be involved in.” Two weeks after the first illegal net was exposed, Kirby volunteered to become president of Chapter.
the Mid-Shore
Another local chapter president, Don McDougall, Patuxent River Chap- ter, saw this as an opportunity to en- courage renewal of membership. In an electronic message to chapter mem- bers, McDougall reviewed the action CCAMaryland had taken and suggest- ed members go to the chapter website to see the extent of the illegal activity. “This week, I have been particularly
proud of being a member of CCA Maryland,” he wrote in the message. “The grassroots nature of our organiza- tion has had a significant impact on how our marine resources are man- aged and protected, and more specifi- cally, how the DNR is dealing with the violations. If your CCA membership has recently lapsed or is soon to expire, I ask you to please renew your mem-
www.joincca.org
bership this week. We need and want your continued support. The larger our organization, the more influential we become when dealing with the various government entities that set and enforce the rules and regulations per- taining to our marine resources.”
FUNDRAISING The action on the gill net issue also
resulted in increased support for the chapter’s banquets, the primary fund- raiser for state advocacy work. For example, the Greater Washington Chapter banquet was scheduled ap- proximately three weeks after the first illegal net was found and the support was unprecedented.
ADVOCACY
Another unexpected outcome of the illegal gill netting was the oppor- tunity it gave CCA Maryland to explain the issues to state legislators and make their staffers more aware of the situation. “Two of our Government Relations Committee members, Larry Jennings and Ken Lewis, were already educat- ing state legislators and their staff on the impact of other bills shortly after the
illegal gill netting occurred,”
explained CCA Maryland Government Relations Chairman Trent Zivkovich. “In those discussions the gill netting was brought up, we showed them pho- tos of the confiscated fish and nets, and we had the chance to explain the impact of the poaching. We believe our conversations helped with the intro- duction of additional bills strengthen- ing penalties for such illegal acts.” CCA Maryland will continue to be successful by carefully balancing these four key elements. No single one of these elements can exist or be effective on its own. But, by combining these points of focus, the organization grows stronger in influence in the political arenas that manage the direction of our fisheries and the future of our coastal resources.
— Armistead 49
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