Nine qualifying marlin and a batch of tuna were caught by anglers competing in the May 9 Marshalls Billfish Club’s NTA-sponsored tournament.
Captain Randy Jack, fishing on Nita, won the first place $450 NTA-provided prize by reeling in a hefty 295 pound marlin.
Captain Ronnie Reimers on Kirtake caught three marlin, including a 145 pound fish that tied with Captain John L. of Milan for second place honors. Ronnie also tagged and released a marlin, collecting a cool 250 President’s Cup points, which bumped his President’s Cup total points in the tournament to 672. With last Saturday’s slew of marlin, Ronnie bumped his President’s Cup total to 2,033 — almost a thousand points ahead of his closest competitors, Damien Milne (1,123) and Randy Jack (1,119).
The second place prize from NTA — the new $25 unlimited text and calling plan and a case of beer — goes to Kirtake and Milan.
Also catching qualifying marlin were Captain Bwiji Aliven on Celinda, who caught two, Captain Jojo Kramer on Jambo, and Captain Ben Reimers on XXXX.
Kramer also weighted in a 47 pound tuna, the only one weighed in.
Meantime, MBC launched a new partnership with Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority’s Marine Pollution Program, which saw MIMRA buy several of the tuna and other species of fish caught by anglers for $3 per pound. The MIMRA program is investigating micro-plastic pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, radioactivity and other possible contaminants in fish to determine if there is a risk for consumption.
This is part of of a World Bank-support program at MIMRA that is collaborating with the RMI EPA and the University of Hawaii.
This “showcased the partnership between the RMI government — MIMRA and EPA — and MBC,” said club President Ellen Milne-Paul. “The targeted sample size for yellowfin tuna was achieved and MBC is grateful to MIMRA and EPA for this opportunity.”
Ellen said it was a “great success” and the hope is to see the same partnership between the Urok Club’s upcoming Mother’s Day fishing tournament and MIMRA and EPA to extend the opportunity for studying pollution in marine life to include bottom fish.