Washington, DC – December 6, 2011 – The Center for Coastal Conservation, an organization formed to promote good stewardship of America’s marine resources, today elected Steve Stock, President of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, to its Board of Directors.
The Center for Coastal Conservation is a coalition of leading individual, institutional and corporate advocates for marine recreational fishing and boating. Among its prominent members, the Center includes institutional partners, such as the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), International Game Fish Association (IGFA), The Billfish Foundation (TBF) and National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
The Center for Coastal Conservation’s role is to affect public policy related to the conservation of marine resources with broad abilities to pursue political solutions. The organization is non-partisan and focuses on having an impact in the national political arena, principally Congress and federal regulatory agencies.
As president of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), Stock works closely with a Board of Directors to set policy and implement numerous programs designed to inspire scientific research and innovative educational programs to encourage conservation and best management practices for sustainable marine environments.
In only its fourth year of existence, GHOF has been front and center internationally with its support—in both science and grants—to provide common sense solutions to reversing overfishing, pollution and other threats to the marine ecosystem.
Numerous organizations and causes have benefited from GHOF support over the years, including the Guy Harvey Research Institute at the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, Bimini Biological Field Station, University of Florida: Florida Museum of Natural History, Mote Marine Laboratory, The Ocean Foundation, Florida Sea Grant’s Guy Harvey Scholarship, Florida State University, University of South Florida, Florida International University, University of Texas, University of Southern Mississippi, Central Caribbean Marine Institute and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at the University of Miami.
Last month the GHOF was honored as the Outstanding Foundation by the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as part of the 2011 National Philanthropy Day Celebration.
The Center for Coastal Conservation activities include advancing marine resource policy initiatives by influencing federal decision makers and by exerting a direct impact on the national political process. It built the Center for Coastal Conservation Political Action Committee – Center PAC – so its individual members can promote marine conservation issues in federal elections.
The Center worked in 2007 to secure an Executive Order signed by President George W. Bush protecting redfish and striped bass as federal gamefish. Its leadership also worked to achieve a 2008 Executive Order protecting recreational fishing on all federal lands and waters. Currently, the Center for Coastal Conservation is encouraging the White House to move its National Ocean Policy toward responsible uses of ocean resources, rather than protectionism. The Center also led the effort for President Obama to appoint The Billfish Foundation’s Ellen Peel as his commissioner in international fisheries.
Other corporate sustaining members of the Center include AFTCO, Grady White Boats, Shimano and Yamaha.
Stock will serve as a sustaining member of the Center for Coastal Conservation for a minimum of three years.
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