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| AFTCO
ONLINE |
February 2007- Irvine, CA
AFTCO TAG/FLAG Ends in 2006 after 20 Years
of Conservation Focus AFTCO announced at the IGFA Annual Dinner
that 2006 will be the last year for it’s year long TAG/FLAG Tournament.
For 20 years TAG/FLAG, and its predecessor TAG-A-Tuna-For-Tomorrow Tournaments
have helped to create awareness and increase participation in tag and
release by recognizing conservation minded anglers and captains.
AFTCO TAG/FLAG combined the results of various tagging programs including
those from TBF and NMFS. This complete package of tag and release participation
created prestige in winning an AFTCO TAG/FLAG award that drove competition
and participation between anglers and captains. Evidence of that prestige
is the fact that captains and anglers often list at the top of their accomplishments
winning an AFTCO TAG/FLAG trophy. In addition, AFTCO also sent out thousands
of tag flags to participating anglers who proudly displayed those flags
framed at home or flown on their boats, generating tens of thousands of
stories and conversations about the value and importance of tag and release.
2006 Atlantic winners included: Captain Bubba Carter tagging 40 white
marlin, Captain Mike Lemon tagging 106 blue marlin, Captain Ray Rosher
tagging 138 sailfish, Captain Burt Moss tagging 28 swordfish, Captain
Gary Cannell tagging 21 tuna and Captain Bubba Carter as Atlantic Ocean
Captain of the Year for 2006. In the angler category, winners included:
Bob De Gabrielle tagging 24 white marlin, Sam Jennings tagging 105 blue
marlin, Bob De Gabrielle tagging 76 sailfish, Susan Royal tagging 12 swordfish,
Jules Boudreau tagging 4 tuna and Bob De Gabrielle as Atlantic Ocean Angler
of the Year for 2006.
Winners for the 2006 Pacific awards were announced at the UASC Dinner
in May and included: Captain Gene Vanderhoek tagging 51 blue marlin, Captain
Ron Hamlin tagging 1131 sailfish and Captain Martin Vigil tagging 249
striped marlin. In the Pacific angler category Paul Bender tagged 249
striped marlin and 13 blue marlin, and Fernando Aguilar tagged 220 sailfish.
While there are many reasons for the huge increase of tag and release
in the last 20 years, AFTCO TAG/FLAG played a key role, especially in
the early years. Possibly the best example of that role is in Hawaii where
prior to TAG/FLAG, there were virtually no released billfish in Hawaiian
waters. The AFTCO program started a heated competition among captains
in Kona, Hawaii who used the winning of an AFTCO tagging trophy as a sales
tool to book charters with conservation minded anglers. Today the majority
of the marlin caught in Hawaii are released. Kona captains credit the
AFTCO TAG/FLAG Tournament for that change. The program ends now because
AFTCO is no longer able to receive the tagging data. AFTCO encourages
anglers and captains to continue their support of the Billfish Foundation
and NMFS tagging programs.
AFTCO whishes to thank its many partners for making this program the great
success it has been. Those include the IGFA, TBF, NMFS, ASA, NCMC, UASC
and Chris Costello of Costello Studios. We also salute the many anglers
and captains who have won a trophy, tag flag, or even tagged a single
fish as part of the AFTCO program over its 20 year history.
For More Information Contact:
Greg Stotesbury
AFTCO Mfg. Co., Inc.
17351 Murphy Ave.
Irvine, CA 92614
(800-452-3726)
greg@aftco.com |
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| 2006
Winners |
2006 Atlantic
Captains
Captain of the year
Bubba Carter c/o Bob De Gabrielle-
7020 Currituck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(hm) 252-261-7494
#1 White Marlin
#4 Blue Marlin
#5 Sailfish
White Marlin (40) ASA
Captain Bubba Carter c/o Bob De Gabrielle-
7020 Currituck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(hm) 252-261-7494
Blue Marlin (106) AFTCO
Captain Mike Lemon c/o Sam Jennings-
3930 RCA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(hm) 561-776-0170
Sailfish (138) AFTCO
Captain Ray Rosher-
9490 S. W. 109 Terrace, Miami, FL
(bus.) 305-596-0419
Bluefin, Yellowfin & Bigeye Tuna (21) IGFA
Captain Gary Cannell-
4 Heritage Drive, Rockport, MA 01966
(hm) 978-546-0064
Swordfish (28) IGFA
Captain Burt Moss-
2860 N. E. 19th Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33064
(hm) 954-786-1104
2006 Atlantic
Anglers
Angler of the year
Bob De Gabrielle
7020 Currituck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(hm) 252-261-7494
#1 Sailfish
#1 White Marlin
#2 Blue Marlin
White Marlin (24) ASA
Bob De Gabrielle-
7020 Currituck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(hm) 252-261-7494
Blue Marlin (105) NCMC
Sam Jennings-
3930 RCA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(hm) 561-776-0170
Sailfish (76) AFTCO
Bob De Gabrielle-
7020 Currituck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(hm) 252-261-7494
Bluefin, Yellowfin & Bigeye Tuna (4) IGFA
Jules Boudreau-
5 Twinlight Circle, Rockport, MA 01966
(hm) 978-546-2601
Swordfish (12) IGFA
Susan Royal-
1107 S. E. 5th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL
(hm) 954-570-6849
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