Sat, Jan 22
|YOU CHOOSE: Ft. DeSoto OR Belleair Ramp
Tampa Bay's Ghost Trap Rodeo! - Two Locations: Ft. DeSoto Ramp or Belleair Ramp
Ghost Trap Rodeo's Homecoming! - Tampa Bay's chance to participate in our exciting, family-friendly, inshore tournament to remove marine debris! Anglers, Boaters, Paddlers, and Beachcombers welcome! (Click on event title for more info)
Time & Location
Jan 22, 2022, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
YOU CHOOSE: Ft. DeSoto OR Belleair Ramp, 541S Belleair Causeway, Largo, FL 33770, USA
About the Event
Ocean Aid 360 presents The Ghost Trap Rodeo for Tampa Bay!
On Saturday, January 22, 2022, the Ghost Trap Rodeo is coming home to Tampa Bay! The FREE event - to find and remove derelict crab traps and other forms of marine litter - will be held at YOUR CHOICE of two locations (Fort DeSoto Ramp OR Belleair Causeway Ramp) between 9am and 1pm. This FWC-permitted Ghost Trap Rodeo event will take place during the OPEN trap fishing season. As such, event participants will NOT take buoyed traps during the course of this event. Only non-buoyed (derelict) traps will be collected, and the event will place primary focus on non-trap debris. Any derelict traps (non-buoyed) found during the event will be collected to stop the cycle of "ghost fishing" which depletes existing marine resources available to commerical and recreational anglers, alike, through non-tended traps.
Upon arrival, participants will check in, receive individualized swag bags, t-shirts, Rodeo supplies, and search instructions (baitfish traps must be left in place). Supplies will consist of a tarp (for gelcoat safety), gloves, tin snips, burlap sacks for small debris, and more. After the completion of the four-hour search, participants will return to their event location for debris offloading and "weigh-in", a free catered lunch, and a closing ceremony including a host of great prizes.
We're excited to be partnering with Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida and its local chapter members, also Tampa Bay Watch, Coastal Impact Fund, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and NOAA's Marine Debris Program - to make this Ghost Trap Rodeo homecoming event a success!
Ocean Aid 360's Ghost Trap Rodeo Event Series is dedicated to improving and maintaining the health of Florida's sensitive marine environments for the longevity of our shallow water fishery and we hope you'll join us on January 22nd!
Kindly register at the link and contact info@oceanaid360.org with any questions. Thanks!