In partnership with other like-minded organizations, Anglers for Conservation is coordinating a Hook Kids on Fishing program to kick-off the Inaugural Marine Sanctuaries Classic Fishing and Photo Contest on Saturday, June 9, 2012. The event will take place from 8:30 am – 10:30, at NOAA’s Eco-Discovery Center in Key West. Is there any better way for families to celebrate Ocean Week than coming together in one of our nation’s most famous marine sanctuaries fishing and learning about how they can better sustain our limited marine resources.
The Hook Kids on Fishing program will take place at:
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Eco-Discovery Center
(Directly Across from Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park)
305-809-4750
35 Quay Road
Key West, FL 33950_
Kids ages 6 to 16 are welcome, along with their parents. The first one hundred kids registered will receive a free fishing rod & reel and tackle box. Registration is mandatory by going to www.sanctuaryclassic.com
Those families who participate (kids under 18) in the free Marine Sanctuaries Classic Fishing and Photo Contest, a summer-long contest, will have a chance to win one of four $1000 scholarships and additional prizes being awarded to lucky contestants.
The Hook Kids on Fishing program teaches casting, fishing safety, knot tying, the tackle box, catch and release tactics, fishing habitat and conservation, and is taught by professional guides and knowledgeable anglers. After the educational portion, the kids will fish. Parents and kids, bring your smiles, positive attitudes and patience along with you! Volunteers are needed.
Additional community sponsors include the Sportfishing Conservancy, Fish Florida Foundation, Coastal Angler Magazine, Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA), Aylesworth’s Fish & Bait, and Pure Ocean Productions.
The Hook Kids on Fishing program is brought to you by the Anglers for Conservation (AFC), a non-profit-501-C3, whose mission is to create a new generation of marine stewards using community-based angling education, habitat restoration and applied conservation science.
Volunteers are needed and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Rodney Smith at info@anglersforconservation.org or by phone at (321) 750-3374; you can also visit the website, www.anglersforconservation.org.
