Invasive Species Fishing Tournament

Photo courtesy of MyCatch

The American Fisheries Society (AFS), in partnership with MyCatch by Angler’s Atlas, is hosting a Hawaii invasive species fishing tournament from Aug. 1 to Sept. 14. This is a free event with adult and youth categories and semi-monthly and grand prizes totaling $5,000. Anglers can fish anywhere in Hawaii using any method and are not required to disclose their locations, so your secret spots stay secret.

This tournament specifically targets four non-native species: Roi (Peacock Grouper), Ta’ape (Bluestripe Snapper), To’au (Blacktail Snapper), and Tilapia. Each species will have its own prizes in four categories: longest fish, shortest fish, hidden length, and keiki draws. All entries must be submitted via the MyCatch app, where users will need to take a picture of their catch alongside a measurement tool. Multiple entries are allowed.

MyCatch events like this aim to support fisheries with research and management. The Hawaii Invasive Species Roundup project helps to illustrate how an app-based event with anglers can support invasive and non-native species removal and monitoring in near real-time. The results of this event will be presented at the American Fisheries Society annual conference in Honolulu, Sept. 16-20.

To register and view official rules, please go to anglersatlas.com/event/810/2024-hawaii-invasive-species-roundup-2024. For more information, contact the organizer, Sean Simmons by email at sean@anglersatlas.com. If participants would like fishing rulers or barbless hooks, please feel free to contact DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources Molokai at (808) 866-3655.