Following a two-year hiatus owing to the covid19 pandemic, the Charlotteville Fishing Tournament made a successful return last month.
The five-day event, held from April 25-29 was sponsored by Ansa Bank and drew vessels from as far afield as Grenada and Barbados.
According to a press release from the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC) on Monday, the tournament celebrates the fishing tradition of the village and its return was warmly welcomed by the community – not only because of the opportunities that it has traditionally offered to the area, but also because, for the first time, it included an additional investment by Ansa Bank to ensure that the tournament did not negatively impact on the fragile coastal ecosystems of the Man-O-War Bay.
It said, in the past years, the anchoring of the boats during the fishing tournament has contributed to the degradation of the coral reef and sea floor ecosystems in the Man-O-War Bay.
“This year, ERIC, a small non-profit NGO operating out of Charlotteville, partnered with Ansa Bank under the auspices of its Caribbean Natural Capital Hub initiative to mitigate against any potential damage from mooring.”
It noted that with funding from its Caribbean Natural Capital Hub initiative, Ansa Bank booked all “Buoys of Man-o-War Bay” for participating vessels to moor during the tournament. It said these buoys were installed by ERIC, with significant funding provided by Shell TT, in December 2022 to cater to the yacht tourism market.
“They have been strategically placed in the sheltered Pirate’s Bay, an established anchorage for yachts. The moorings are part of a social enterprise project that aims to create a sustainable income source for the local community and conserve the marine environment. A part of the proceeds from the moorings are shared with ERIC’s partner, the Charlotteville Police Youth Club, a community-based organisation that provides support to people in the village.”
CEO of ERIC Aljoscha Wothke said, "We were delighted to be able to partner with Ansa Bank and anglers in facilitating the use of our moorings to everyone’s benefit and we are looking forward to collaborate with these partners to establish an environmental plan including waste management and fuel spill responses for next year’s tournament.”
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