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Marine Recreational Fishing Forum Set for April 21


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Scott Baker, 910/962-2492, bakers@uncw.edu
Sara Mirabilio, 252/475-3663, saram@csi.northcarolina.edu
Katie Mosher, 919/515-9069, katie_mosher@ncsu.edu

Posted Friday, March 16, 2012

North Carolina Sea Grant will convene the 2012 N.C. Marine Recreational Fishing Forum on Saturday, April 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the McKimmon Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The daylong event is expected to draw recreational anglers, fisheries scientists, resource managers, elected and appointed officials, and others with an interest in the latest happenings in North Carolina marine recreational fishing.

"Sea Grant had hosted similar gatherings annually from 1992 to 1997, which today are recalled as engaging the recreational fishing community on pressing issues through a facilitated discussion outside of the regulatory arena," explains Michael Voiland, Sea Grant executive director.

"Reconvening the forum this year will support outreach and information activities for recreational fisheries data collection programs. But even more, it will provide an additional venue for communicating information on some of today's pressing issues and for garnering engagement and gathering input from the marine recreational fishing community," Voiland adds.

Speakers hail from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina, and more.

The agenda will include all-embracing topics, such as state and federal officials describing catch data collection for marine recreational and for-hire fisheries; recommendations from a North Carolina legislative study committee looking at marine fisheries; and information for anglers on Atlantic sturgeon that was recently listed as endangered and the invasive lionfish.

The event is free and lunch is included, but preregistration is required. Space will be limited to the first 200 registrants. Registration will close at 5 p.m., April 13. Participants will receive a follow-up e-mail prior to the event.

For a complete agenda, registration details, directions and proceedings from past forums, go to www.ncseagrant.org/s/recfishforum.

Please contact Lisa Humphrey at humphreyl@uncw.edu or 910/962-2490, or Scott Baker at bakers@uncw.edu or 910/962-2492 with questions regarding online registration.

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