Releases – June 16, 2011
The Oriental Rotary Club is hosting their 19th Annual Tarpon Tournament July on 29-31 out of the River Neuse Suites in Oriental. In addition to two days of competitive fishing in the only tarpon tournament north of Florida, the all-release event will feature a Captains’ Party Friday night, a barbecue dinner Saturday, awards party on Sunday, and live entertainment both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The Neuse River/Pamlico Sound in summer offers one of the most exciting tarpon fisheries outside of tropical waters, which the tournament record 28 releases tallied by boats fishing the 2008 tournament will attest to.
In addition to the three-place leaderboard for most releases by a boat in the event, there are a pair of TWT’s available for anglers to win even more money. The Champions TWT is open to all anglers fishing the event, while competition in the Sportsmans TWT is limited to only those crews who have never released a tarpon before in the tournament.
In a slight format change, the event won’t be using observers this year, instead relying on the crews to document their catches with digital cameras. The committee made the rules change in order to relieve participants of the need to get to Oriental in the morning to pick up an observer, then head back downriver to the Pamlico Sound. So if a team is fishing out of Cedar Island, they’ll be able to depart from Cedar Island on the morning of the event.
Entry into the event costs $250 until June 25, $275 from June 25 until the day of registration, and $300 for crews signing up at the Captains’ Party.
More information is available at www.orientalrotary.org or by calling Tournament Director Charles Skinner at (252) 249-0400.
Law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies will be out in force June 24-26 for Operation Dry Water, an annual campaign focused on the detection and enforcement of boating while impaired. A secondary objective is to raise awareness among all boaters that it is unsafe, as well as illegal, to operate a boat under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
This year in North Carolina, Operation Dry Water is incorporated into the state’s “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign.
“Impaired boat operators pose the same risk for injuries and fatalities as do impaired drivers,” said Maj. Chris Huebner of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the state boating safety coordinator. “No matter what you drive, be responsible. Penalties for boating while impaired can include fines up to $1,000 and jail, but the greater peril is having an accident. Nearly one in three boating-related fatalities are alcohol related.”
Held each year during the weekend before the July 4th holiday, Operation Dry Water is coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard, with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, assisted by partner law enforcement agencies leading the North Carolina campaign.
On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive is a multi-agency initiative designed to combine law enforcement resources in ensuring that everyone can safely travel on highways and waterways during the summer months.
Wildlife Officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are charged with enforcing the boating laws and regulations on the public waters of the state, and routinely stop vessels for safety checks or violations. The goal of this enforcement is always safety. Drinking, even at levels below legal intoxication, affects the skills necessary to operate any vessel, including: Peripheral vision and ability to focus; Judgment and rational decision-making; Balance and equilibrium; and Coordination and reaction time.
After the recent Memorial Day weekend, the Wildlife Resources Commission in the On the Road, On the Water campaign reported violations and warnings issued over the holiday as follows: Operate While Impaired—50; Careless and Negligent Operation—5; Other Boat Violations—432; Other Boat Warnings—1081; Total—1568.
For more information on safe recreational boating in North Carolina, go to www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 707-0031.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding fishermen that as temperatures warm, and sea turtles return to North Carolina waters, both commercial and recreational fishermen should avoid interaction with them.
Division staff has sighted sea turtles in the ocean off Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet, Topsail Island, Oak Island, and Long Beach. In addition, sea turtles have been observed in inside waters of the Intracoastal Waterway near Oak Island and in Core Sound.
“It is likely that sea turtles are moving into other waters,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. “Commercial fishermen setting nets and recreational anglers bottom fishing should be aware of this.”
All sea turtles found in North Carolina waters are listed as either threatened or endangered species. Therefore, it is illegal to harm them in any way.
Information on how recreational anglers can skillfully release a turtle to reduce sea turtle injury and to promote post-release survival can be found on the division’s website at www.ncfisheries.net.
Commercial fishermen should adhere to sea turtle release protocols from the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center, which can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
Whether recreational or commercial, any fisherman that catches a sea turtle should release it unharmed, if possible. If the turtle is lethargic or comatose, call one of the following numbers to arrange transport of the sea turtle to a rehabilitation center:
Statewide: N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Sea Turtles Stranding Hotline at (252) 241-7367; N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries at (800) 682-2632; Outer Banks Area Only—Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) at (252) 441-8622; or Outer Banks Marine Mammal Response Team at (252) 455-9654.
The Division of Marine Fisheries is continuing regulatory restrictions and observer coverage of large-mesh gill nets, in accordance with a sea turtle lawsuit settlement.
For more information, contact the division’s Protected Resources section chief Red Munden at (252) 808-8009 or Red.Munden@ncdenr.gov, or Protected Resources biologist Brian Conrad (252) 808-8061 or Brian.Conrad@ncdenr.gov.
The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be holding Surf Fishing Workshops and Salt Marsh and Crabbing Workshops in late June.
The Surf Fishing Workshop will be held Tuesday, June 21 at 8:00 am. This 3-hour workshop includes one hour of classroom discussion, then surf fishing on the beach nearby. All equipment and bait are provided. The program is rain or shine, with extra activities added in the event of bad weather (e.g., throwing a cast net). This workshop is for ages 10 and up, and the fee is $12.00 per participant. Aquarium admission is not included, and pre-registration is required.
The Salt Marsh and Crabbing Workshop will be held Friday, June 24, at 8:00 am. Join us for this hands-on program that introduces participants to the challenge of catching blue crabs. Lessons in crab biology and crabbing equipment prepare participants for an exciting expedition outdoors to catch (and release) crabs. All bait and equipment is provided. This workshop is for ages 7 and up. Ages 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. The fee is $16.00 for ages 13 and up, and $14.00 for ages 7-12. Aquarium admission is included, and pre-registration is required.
For more information or to register for a program, please call (910) 458-7468. Pre-registration is required and taken from Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 pm. You can also check the website for program details at www.ncaquariums.com.
The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located just south of Kure Beach, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, on US 421. The site is less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal.
