Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) November 12, 2012
The American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) has long been a beacon of quality saltwater fishing products and ocean conservation within the sport fishing community. From AFTCO’s own line of fishing clothing and saltwater tackle, to licensed products by the artists Al Agnew & Guy Harvey, AFTCO blends a love for fishing with a desire to give back to the oceans.
For more than 50 years, AFTCO has donated proceeds from the sale of AFTCO tackle & clothing products to various causes aimed at the protection of our fishing resources and angler access to these resources. Over the years additional contributions have often personally been made by members of the Shedd family. With the introduction of clothing and t shirts by Guy Harvey in 2004, AFTCO began to donate additional proceeds from the sale of those items to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. The money that is donated back to the Guy Harvey Ocean foundation helps to fund ocean and marine education and conservation
Each year, through the purchase of AFTCO’s products, AFTCO’s customer are given a unique opportunity to voice their support for the ocean resources that recreational fisherman have grown to cherish. In 2012, this support amounted to approximately $ 500,000. This $ 500,000 was distributed to some of the most respected fishing & conservations organizations in the world. Many additional grassroots organizations and individuals who share with AFTCO and it’s customers a passion for recreational fishing, also received contributions. This year, the most notable causes and organizations that received financial contributions from AFTCO & the Shedd family include:
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, California MLPA Lawsuit, Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute, International Game Fish Association (IGFA), & the Center for Coastal Conservation.
On top of the $ 500,000 that was donated by AFTCO this year, AFTCO & Guy Harvey partnered in multiple efforts that directly benefited causes like breast cancer awareness, the rigs to reef program, & support for military families through special Guy Harvey T Shirts.
In previous years, AFTCO and its employees have played a pivotal role in such issues as: the removal of shark longlines from California waters, getting proposition 132 passed which removed gillnets from state waters in Southern California, the rigs to reef program, the founding of the Hubbs Sea-World Research Institute, the establishment of the first of its kind white sea bass hatchery in Carlsbad California which raises and then releases white seabass back into the wild, the AFTCO Tag Flag tournament, and a variety of other causes and numerous tag and release efforts.
In recent years, AFTCO has donated a significant amount of time to fight for the fishing public’s right to reasonable access to the public marine research. To learn more about angler access issues and other important issues visit http://www.keepamericafishing.org/