This year was especially rewarding for us. We increased our vessel registration and prize payout, met our existing financial goals and added 2 more scholarship programs to our portfolio so the people in our community will realize an even greater positive impact from our efforts. We’re training tradesmen and women, and putting more qualified individuals into the local workforce. We’re giving young, up and coming scientists a better opportunity to enter their workforce and we’re funding critical research, both of which help us ensure the resource remains renewable and the fishery sustainable. We’re creating new educational opportunities for kids, and now we’re putting more medically-trained first responders into rural communities.
We stand alone among New England tuna tournaments, and are very proud of the fact that the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza is entirely a volunteer organization. That doesn’t mean we’re not rewarded. We’re rewarded every time a fisherman tells us that ours is the best tournament they fish. It comes from the smiles we see on the faces of kids at our Youth Day, from the letters we receive from our scholarship recipients, and the parents in other special events. It comes from reasons why our sponsors support us. Our reward comes from living in a better, stronger and healthier community and knowing we played a small part in making it that way.
As a first-class tuna tournament, the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza combines highly-skilled anglers from all over the northeast in a contest of competition, comradery and fun. We also understand the importance and reward of giving back to our communities. As an independent, non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza Tuna Tournament is committed to the purpose of raising and expending funds in support of educational scholarships to deserving individuals. To that end, all donations made by charity auction participants, raffle ticket buyers and our sponsors will go toward a scholarship fund to support students in Maine’s community college and technical school system, the graduates of which will ultimately enter the work force and contribute meaningfully to our community. We’re also dedicated to conserving the resource we value so much, and support internships and research at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
President
Vice President
Director at Large
Director at Large
Secretary
Treasurer
Education remains our core mission. Now that our endowment with the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges (FMCC) has been fulfilled, we can devote more attention and resources toward annual scholarships to students enrolled in trades and marine science programs. This year we were able to give $1,000 scholarships to two students at each of Maine’s seven community colleges, and to two more students, one each from SMCC and CMCC, in recognition of their logistical support of our events. Our efforts and our sponsors’ support are more important than ever, as many of our scholarship recipients are non-traditional students who don’t qualify for free tuition. Even those who do must still cover two-thirds of the cost of their education.
Businesses that employ trade workers understand and appreciate the importance of these scholarships as they bring more qualified individuals to a workforce desperately in need of them. When they learned about our activities, representatives from Carhartt eagerly asked how they could get involved and offer support. To that end, we’ve created two additional $2,500 scholarships from Carhartt and W.S. Emerson for students enrolled in specific trades programs.
Sadly, we lost one of our own last year when Capt. Lyndsay Withers lost her battle with cancer. Before she left us, she wanted to make sure she left behind her legacy of community support, and at her request, we established a scholarship endowment with Southern Maine Community College’s Emergency Medical Services/Paramedicine program. These scholarships will be awarded to eligible candidates from rural municipalities where funding sources are often lower and the need for qualified first responders is greater. Once our endowment has been fulfilled, these scholarships will be available in perpetuity.
“We are very grateful to the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza for your continued support of the students of Maine’s community colleges,” said Maine Community College Foundation President John Fitzsimmons. “Maine’s community colleges are committed to creating a skilled and educated workforce and to building a more prosperous Maine. The impact of a gift like yours is significant and can be seen on the campuses of Maine’s seven community colleges.”
l. to r. Shawn Tibbetts, CBBB Vice President; John Fitzsimmons, FMCC President; Bob Humphrey, CBBB
President; Jane Humphrey, CBBB Secretary.
l. to r. Julie Chase, SMCC Foundation, Tiffanie Bentley, SMCC President; Shawn Tibbetts, CBBB Vice President; Jane Humphrey, CBBB Secretary.
Thanks to a successful season, we can continue our current level of internships for Maine college students working at the University of Maine’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), which serves as a training ground for students interested in the fields of fisheries biology, science, and management. Internships, technician roles, and graduate student positions give students the opportunity to acquire the hands-on skills needed to enter the professional field and become the next generation of leaders who will continue the wise stewardship of this resource.
In addition to collecting samples at our weigh-in, our interns, technicians, and graduate students also participate in our Youth Day, providing a hands-on experience for kids who are often hesitant at first but soon become fascinated. They also contribute to GMRI’s LabVenture program, a free and unique marine biology experience for Maine’s 5th and 6th graders. Samples collected from the fisheries are used in these demonstrations to show what species live in the Gulf of Maine and how scientists work to ensure their sustainability. They are also incorporated into demonstrations at area schools and for students at the University of Maine.
| Beneficiary | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarships | $7,000 | $14,000 | $7,000 | $17,000 | $16,000 | $60,000 |
| FMCC Endowment | — | $10,000 | $10,000 | $26,000 | 0 | $46,000 |
| GMRI Internships | __ | __ | $1,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $11,000 |
| Withers Scholarships | — | — | — | — | — | $15,000 |
| Carhartt Scholarships | — | — | — | — | $5,000 | $5,000 |
Last year was a busy one for us, and rather than waiting for people to come to us, we went out into the public to help spread the word about our work.
In March, part of our crew attended the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show in Augusta, where we met with the public, shared our mission, and sold raffle tickets for fishing charters from F/V Molly Jane Charters, Reel Addiction Sportfishing, and Relentless Pursuits Charters, along with our annual rod and reel raffle supported by Penn Fishing and Saco Bay Tackle, and a kayak from Cabela’s.
Conflicting dates required us to split forces and send the other half of our crew to the Saco Bay Fishing Seminar in Old Orchard Beach, where we were able to connect with longtime sponsors and meet new ones.
Our annual Youth Day, co-sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, was once again well attended. The day began with hands-on demonstrations led by staff and interns from the UMaine Pelagic Fisheries Lab at GMRI, while Nate Garrett of Big Fish Gyotaku demonstrated traditional Japanese fish printing and gave kids the opportunity to create their own prints. The event concluded with our annual crab fishing tournament and crab derby races.
A new event for us this year was Day on the Bay, sponsored by The Hometown Foundation, which gave us the opportunity to take some very special guests on a tour of Casco Bay.
Our annual Youth Day, co-sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, was once again well attended. The day began with hands-on demonstrations led by staff and interns from the UMaine Pelagic Fisheries Lab at GMRI, while Nate Garrett of Big Fish Gyotaku demonstrated traditional Japanese fish printing and gave kids the opportunity to create their own prints. The event concluded with our annual crab fishing tournament and crab derby races.
The Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza, Bass Pro Shops–Cabela’s, and the University of Maine’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute partner each year to provide a day of activities for youngsters and grown-ups alike.
The day kicks off with Dr. Walt Golet and his team of interns from the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, who provide hands-on demonstrations of some of the more fascinating fish found in local waters. Kids have the opportunity to use hands, knives, and saws on ocean sunfish, blue sharks, and bluefin tuna while learning how scientists collect biological samples for research.
After a lunch prepared and served by Cabela’s staff, we moved down to the docks for a crab fishing tournament where kids competed to catch and learn about invasive green crabs. They then selected their best crabs to enter into a derby race. Prizes were awarded for the biggest crabs, the most crabs, the weirdest catch, and the top five finishers in the crab race. All activities were free and open to the public.
Meanwhile, local artist Nate Garrett volunteers his time and materials to provide demonstrations on the Japanese art of Gyotaku fish printing, giving kids the chance to make their own fish prints.
The captains and crews who participate in our annual tournament love to fish, but they also understand the importance of good stewardship and giving back. Through our endowment with the University of Maine Foundation’s Highly Migratory Species Conservation Fund, we are supporting critical bluefin tuna research at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab, the results of which are already being used to shape future management of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Highly migratory species—including tuna, sharks, and billfish—represent some of the world’s most sought-after commercial and recreational fish. Bluefin tuna fishing has grown into a global business that supports tens of thousands of jobs and injects tens of millions of dollars into local economies around the Atlantic. As with any harvested species, our ability to manage it successfully depends entirely on the information we have about its life history, including growth, age, migration, and foraging.
To learn more about these animals and provide the most robust stock assessments and management advice, research labs like GMRI are working to improve our understanding of species such as bluefin tuna to ensure their long-term sustainability for both commercial and recreational harvest. Specific aspects of their biology under study include longevity, age structure, stock structure, foraging ecology, age of reproduction, and migration/habitat use. These factors require annual monitoring, as they can change from year to year.
As technology and research techniques advance, so does our ability to ask and answer more complex questions. The field of genetics is expanding at an unprecedented pace, dramatically increasing the amount of information available. An exciting new project at GMRI is applying this technology to provide the first-ever absolute estimates of abundance for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic—a groundbreaking study with the potential to be a game changer, answering fundamental questions about reproduction and mortality that have long eluded scientists.
The Pelagic Fisheries Lab works with commercial and recreational partners, including tournaments like the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza, to obtain critical samples from landed fish—samples that can be used to address all of the questions above, especially this cutting-edge genetic research. Samples include muscle, stomachs, liver, otoliths, eye lenses, and, when possible, the application of conventional and electronic tags. Tournaments like the Bluefin Bonanza are vital because they provide a concentrated source of fish, allowing scientists to collect material from parts that would otherwise be discarded.
| Beneficiary | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPRI | $1,000 | — | — | — | — | $1,000 |
| GMRI | __ | $1,000 | $25,000 | $40,000 | $25,000 | $100,000 |
These are just some of the exciting and cutting edge research projects we’re supporting
Using otoliths (small crystals at the base of the skull) and approaches similar to those used for trees, researchers can count the rings in these structures to estimate the age of every fish caught. This information is then used as an index of age structure in the population and to estimate growth rates.
By analyzing stomach contents or specific chemical signatures in the muscle, liver, and blood, biologists can assess what these animals have been eating as far back as a year before they were caught. This information is then used to identify which forage species are most important and to ensure those stocks remain sustainable.
Understanding which individual fish belong to which population is one of the most important aspects of bluefin management. Scientists use three tools to do this: the chemistry of the otoliths, eye lenses, and specific genetic markers from muscle tissue. From these, they can determine whether a fish landed off the coast of Maine was spawned in the Gulf of Mexico or the Mediterranean Sea.
Scientists use several types of tags to track these fish, including traditional plastic tags and more sophisticated electronic tags. From this, they can determine where the fish travel and when they enter their spawning grounds or cross management zones.
Using reproductive tissues and genetic techniques, scientists can assess when these fish spawn for the first time. This information is used to set minimum size limits and to estimate total population abundance, both of which are important new discoveries. As you can see, all of this scientific information has direct management applications to the fishery. Age, diet analysis, stock composition, and more are included in the assessments submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service and, ultimately, to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the international governing body that manages all tunas, billfish, and sharks throughout the Atlantic.
One of several research projects The Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza supports through our endowment is a brand new initiative called “Genetics for Giants.” It’s a pilot program that aims to identify stock structure of the bluefin we land. Using gene tags, Walt Golet’s team hopes to find tuna relatives (parent-sibling matches) in the ocean. This information can then be used to derive a more accurate estimate of the number of bluefin in the ocean, and ultimately ensure the resource and the fishery remain sustainable.
On The Waterfront
In 2023, 64 boats registered for the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza. At $800 each, that generated $51,200. According to NOAA Fisheries, the average trip cost for bluefin tuna fishing is $823 per boat, per day. This includes things like ice, food, bait, fuel and tackle, all of which comes from businesses in our community. With 64 boats competing in a 4-day tournament, that represents an infusion of $210,688 into the local working waterfront.
Landings are also an important source of income for the fishermen who participate in our tournament. During the 2023 Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza, anglers landed 66 fish for a total of over 31,000 pounds. At an average ex-boat price of $6.00/pound, that equates to over $186,000, and some fishermen got even better prices for their fish. These fish are purchased by local buyers, then brought to market, providing an economic benefit to wholesalers, retailers, fish markets and restaurants.
“The best day of my life.” That’s how one of the attendees described his experience at our Day on the Bay, sponsored by the Hometown Foundation. In addition to illustrating the importance of what we do, it also helps remind those of us who spend every day on the water not to take that for granted.
It seems like the parents are more squeamish than the kids during Pelagic Fisheries Lab demonstrations. Being able to put their hands on common fish species found in the Gulf of Maine and help researchers collect samples is far more valuable than any lessons they can get in the classroom.
“This internship has been an enriching and transformative experience, allowing me to gain hands-on experience that explicitly applies to my career and providing me with a deeper understanding of the industry. Your financial support has played a crucial role in making this opportunity possible, and I am truly grateful for the part you have played in allowing me to have had this experience.” So said one of our 2023 interns, with similar sentiments coming from all. It’s great to know we’re making a difference.
When the pandemic struck, we launched an initiative to promote better local utilization of the Bluefin tuna resource. That resulted in several workshops and more local sales by fish markets and restaurants, simultaneously reducing our dependency on out-of-state and overseas markets, keeping money in our local economy. In 2023, we developed a new partnership with a coalition of groups working to develop a certification program to promote this local, sustainable artisanal fishery.
Our big event under the tent provides chance for fishermen, friends and families to get together for an evening of libation, celebration and fun, all for a good cause.
We are, after all, a tuna tournament, and part of the funds we raise through tournament registration is awarded to recognize the accomplishments of our anglers.
Capt. Joe Pinkham My Three Blondes
756 lbs.
107.5”
Capt. Christian Yanarella, Sharpe Hooks
739 lbs.
108.5”
Capt. Cameron Thorp, Endorfin
737 lbs.
107.75”
Capt. Pete Speeches, Backstabber
707 lbs.
109”
Capt. Isaac Molt, Redemption
704 lbs.
109.5”
Capt. Cameron
Capt. Cory LeDuc, Lucy Ella
363 lbs.
89.5”
$25,000
$12,500
$6,000
$3,000
$1,500
$1,000
$1,000
None of what we do would be possible without the incredible support of our donors. Please take a moment to read through the list of individuals and businesses who contributed. When you get a chance, please thank them for us, and consider patronizing their businesses.
Thank you to all our generous donors for their support.
Diamond ($10,000 minimum)
Platinum ($5,000 minimum)
Gold ($1,000 minimum)
Silver ($500 minimum)
Bronze ($250 minimum)
Honorable Mention
We go above and beyond in making sure our sponsors receive the recognition they deserve, and we work with them in finding creative ways to do so.
As a first-class tuna tournament, the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza combines highly skilled anglers from all over the northeast in a contest of competition, comradery, and fun. We also understand the importance and reward of giving back to our communities. As an independent, non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza Tuna Tournament is committed to the purpose of raising and expending funds in support of educational scholarships to deserving individuals. To that end, all donations made by charity auction participants, raffle ticket buyers, and our sponsors will go toward a scholarship fund to support students in Maine’s community college and technical school system, the graduates of which will ultimately enter the workforce and contribute meaningfully to our community.
