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CCA Mourns Passing of
Walter Fondren - Visionary conservationist helped change the way
marine resources are managed
HOUSTON, TX – The conservation community lost one of
its true visionaries with the passing of Coastal Conservation
Association founder Walter W. Fondren III last week in Houston. A
passionate conservationist, avid hunter and skilled fisherman,
Fondren was a driving force in the grassroots movement to save red
drum and speckled trout populations along the Texas coast in the
late 1970s, and was one of the first to fully grasp the potential of
anglers as stewards of marine resources with the creation of the
Gulf Coast Conservation Association (now CCA).
“Walter was one of those unique individuals who saw the
whole chessboard,” said Venable Proctor, chairman of CCA. “When he
saw a problem with fisheries on the Texas coast, he helped build a
national organization to safeguard those resources for generations
to come. He grew up hunting and fishing, and fully understood that
it is the responsibility of all who enjoy such privileges to leave
things better than they found them. He lived his entire life by that
principle and infused it into every aspect of CCA.”
As chairman of CCA, he helped guide the organization’s
growth into a national presence with 17 state chapters and almost
100,000 members on all three coasts. He served on the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council as a member from 1982 through 1992; was
Council Chairman from 1989 to 1990; and also served on the Billfish
Advisory Committee since 1994. He received the Harvey Weil
Sportsman/Conservationist Award in 2000 and the prestigious Charles
H. Lyles Award in 2001 from the Gulf States Marine Fisheries
Commission in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional contributions
on behalf of marine resources.
“Walter was the right man at the right time to organize
anglers to fight for conservation,” said Bob Hayes, CCA’s long-time
general counsel. “He really helped shape the ethic of responsibility
and stewardship in recreational angling at a time when everyone knew
there were problems, but no one was sure how to attack them. Walter
brought together a diverse group of individuals in a common cause,
without a care for recognition as long as the job was done. We have
lost one of the true leaders of saltwater angling, and a great
friend, too.”
Fondren was inducted into the International Game Fish
Association Hall of Fame in 2004 and served as an IGFA trustee for
many years. In 2005, he was named one of the 50 legends of fishing
by Field & Stream magazine and he was the first recipient of the
CCA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
“He was a remarkable person, as comfortable meeting the
president of the United States as he was sight-casting to redfish
with his grandkids,” said Patrick Murray, president of CCA. “From
every local chapter committee to the national board of directors, we
will ensure that his remarkable legacy lives on.”
CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group
of its kind in the nation. With almost 100,000 members in 17 state
chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international
fisheries management issues since 1977. For more information visit
the CCA Newsroom at www.JoinCCA.org
Houston Chronicle, January 31, 2010
Obituaries
WALTER WILLIAM FONDREN III
WALTER WILLIAM FONDREN III, a passionate conservationist, an avid
hunter and fisherman, and a true Texan, died on the 28th of January
2010 at the age of 73, following a courageous battle with congestive
heart disease. He was surrounded by his wife Fran of 53 years and
his loving family. |
