- Division of Marine Fisheries
DMF’s Angler Education Program applied for and received $7,800 from the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) through their Inclusive and Accessible Outdoor Recreation Grant Program. With these funds, DMF partnered with the New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches Department to host an in-person saltwater angler education fishing clinic at the Fort Taber Fish Pier on June 22. Despite rain in the forecast over 50 people attended this free, public event, at which DMF staff taught basic saltwater angling skills such as knot tying, casting, fish measuring, fish identification, proper handling techniques, and catch and release fishing. Plenty of scup were caught throughout the day plus a number of tautog.
With the funds provided by the MOOR grant, DMF was able to purchase over 120 rods and tackle kits for all of the participants to take home at the end of the event so they can recreate the experience on their own and become avid saltwater anglers! To further increase the chances that youth anglers would be more likely to go fishing again, not only did participants leave with a rod, but one attending adult was also able to take home a rod if they chose. Some participants enjoyed the clinic so much they registered for future upcoming clinics offered by DMF or went home and purchased a saltwater permit. To measure the success of the program every participant was asked to fill out an exit survey. With the remaining gear and tackle not distributed at Fort Taber, DMF will either distribute at other 2024 Saltwater Angler Education fishing clinics or use to increase the participation capacity of events limited by the gear and tackle we currently have for clinic use.
In addition, to increase our ability to reach and engage a broader community in recreational activities, we translated our most popular educational materials, including our youth angler saltwater fishing guidebook, into Spanish for distribution at this event and all other clinics and outreach events. These materials will also be available to download on our website.
