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+--- Thread: Marina Del Rey Anglers Offers $500 Bounty for WSB Heads (/showthread.php?tid=202894)
Marina Del Rey Anglers Offers $500 Bounty for WSB Heads - FishNews - 05-24-2005
The board of directors of Marina del Rey Anglers recently voted to encourage anglers fishing in sponsored tournaments to turn in white seabass heads and take advantage of the MDRA white sea bass head recovery incentive program. In 2004 MDRA established two $500 awards to encourage recreational anglers to turn in white sea bass heads to help data collection for the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program.
UASC, Hubbs Sea World Research Institute (HSWRI) and media have posted the locations of the collection centers where anglers should turn in their white sea bass heads. Each angler who turns in a wsb head will fill out and receive a "catch report" that records the angler’s name, address, telephone, location of catch, tackle, and the approximate weight and length of the fish. That report accompanies the head, which is forwarded to the HSWRI white sea bass hatchery in Carlsbad. Tim Conerty supervises the head collection process at the hatchery. All wsb heads received by the hatchery are scanned to determine if they have a tag. All hatchery raised fish released by the fourteen grow-out facilities operated as part of the OREHP program contain a micro tag in their cheek. A number on the tag reveals when the fish was spawned, which grow-out facility released it, when it was released, and the average size of the fish in that release.
All anglers turning in wsb heads, whether or not the head contains a tag, are entered into a computer list. Twice a year, in December and June, a name is drawn and the winner receives $500 directly from MDRA. Now that MDRA is posting a $500 bounty/raffle twice a year to tournament anglers who turn in the wsb heads there is even more fun and reason to sign up for and enjoy the many club, fishing association and industry sponsored tournaments.
The collection of heads of legal size fish is one of the ways to validate the effectiveness and success of the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program. Gill net monitoring, in operation by the California State Universities in Northridge and San Diego, under contract to the Hatchery, is another validation but is limited to smaller fish and near shore embayments. Over one million fish have been released by the program to date and it is not rare for anglers to see trophy fish today over 35 pounds, which many scientists, anglers and sportboat captains agree are the result of the program.
For more information about MDRA’s White Sea Bass Program or to join MDRA contact Paul Simon at 310/821-7262 or email to [url "mailto:psicon@comcast.net"]psicon@comcast.net[/url].
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