[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith five years of record breaking success, the MCAC Reef Fund hopes to keep the trend going at its’ sixth annual Lionfish Round-Up. This year’s event will take place June 3 and 4 at Jupiter Pointe Marina in Tequesta.
The event was originally part of MCAC’s popular Reef Builder’s Fishing Tournament, however as both events continued to grow, it became necessary to hold two separate events.
“This was the best decision that we could make for the charity, the artificial reefs and the lionfish removal efforts,” says John Burke, president of the MCAC Reef Fund. “Both events saw about a 40% increase over past years when it came to participation. With the increased diver participation, we have removed 579 lionfish from our reefs.”
Last summer, beautiful weather prevailed, and the new date and venue attracted a record 57 divers (up from 34 in 2014).
“The folks at Jupiter Pointe Marina and our committee’s combined efforts put on a successful event.” said Kathy FitzPatrick, Martin County’s Coastal Engineer. “Diver’s had clear conditions and we were able to extend our diving window by two hours, increasing the opportunity to bring home more fish. So, with a little cooperation from Mother Nature, we are looking forward to continued success. We have doubled our prize money in most categories this year with a goal to attract even more divers to the event.”
The community can support this event through sponsorship, enter as an individual or a team, or just come out to the event. Folks can see the fish that the divers bring in, enjoy samples, visit supporting event vendors, enjoy live entertainment and libations poolside and participate in a raffle and silent auction. Proceeds will fund future artificial reefs in Martin County.
The group’s tenth annual Reef Builder’s Fishing Tournament is scheduled for July 8 and 9, at the Twisted Tuna Restaurant in Port Salerno.
Registration information for both events is available at www.MCACReefs.org.
For more information on Lionfish visit www.McLionfish.com.
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