“Roi Round-up” Spearfishing Tournament Nov. 6

By Kuhea Paracuelles, Roi Round-up Co-Chair

The popular “Roi Round-up” Spearfishing Tournament, which first took off on Maui in 2008, is taking place this year in Lahaina on Sunday, Nov. 6. The purpose of the event is to remove invasive fish from the Valley Isle’s reefs, including roi or peacock grouper, to`au or blacktail snapper, and ta`ape or blue-line snapper. All three species were introduced to Hawaiian waters in the 1950s. Approximately 60-80 divers will be competing for top honors in several categories, including Most Fish, Largest Roi and Smallest Roi.

Founders and organizers of the Roi Round-up include Brian Yoshikawa of Maui Sporting Goods, Maui fisherman Darrell Tanaka and his wife Jackie, Stuart Funke-d’Egnuff of Tri-Isle RC&D, and Kuhea Paracuelles, a local conservation professional.

The official weigh-in begins at approximately 11 a.m. as the divers return to the Hard Rock Café located on Front Street in Lahaina. A formal program, including the presentation of awards, will follow beginning at 1 p.m.  The restaurant will remain open to the public and patrons are welcome to partake in the event’s festivities.

The event organizers pledged to never let any of the fish caught in these tournaments go to waste. In the past years, they have been donated to the Maui Ocean Center in Mā‘ālaea to feed the marine life or donated to an organic farmer for use as fertilizer. Samples of roi are also collected by the State Division of Aquatic Resources to be used in ciguatera research.

The deadline to enter the Nov. 6 tournament is Monday, Oct. 31. Entry forms are available at Maui Sporting Goods in Wailuku or can be obtained by request via www.roiroundup@gmail.com