A morning of fishing in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties last Saturday culminated with roughly 300 participants and guests gathering for the third annual Lines in the Lagoon Tri-County Junior Fishing Tournament Awards Dinner, which this year was held at Capt. Hiram’s in Sebastian.
Lines in the Lagoon hauled in more than $30,000 – no small catch by any angler’s imagination – to benefit the Ocean Research Conservation Association, the Everglades Foundation and the Coastal Conservation Association. Additionally, the catch-and-release tournament, which this year drew upwards of 129 competitors, seeks to heighten awareness of the critical need to protect our endangered waterways.
The fundraiser was conceived and coordinated by young friends Quinn Hiaasen, Steven Croom, Tommy Hammond, Bryce Hauser, Ritter Marchant, Barrett Rhymes and Michael Villafuerte, who have watched the health of the lagoon decline in just their lifetime. Other young men and their families have since joined in the effort and they are always looking for more people, including girls, to get involved.
Author and scientist Amy Adams was on hand to autograph copies of “Tagged,” her highly popular fictional mystery. The book is a cross between a scientific whodunit and educational story on the value of one of the world’s biggest predators – great white sharks. The book has become hugely popular with young people and, with a message meant to entertain as well as educate, it has even become a school reading assignment for its scientific value.
“We’ve come a long way since Jaws,” said Adams, owner of Cape Canaveral Scientific with husband Doug. “We are trying to protect sharks now. I am thrilled to be asked to be here and also that these kids care about great whites. They are the lions of the water, the top of the food chain and keep the ecosystem balanced.”
Fenia Hiaasen spoke with pride about her son Quinn’s continued involvement with the cause.
“It’s another epic year, with the most attendance we have ever had,” she said. “We just wanted to remind everyone why we do this event. It is to teach our children to remember to love the lagoon, to respect it and to keep it for future generations.”
Noting that her son and the founding boys were so busy working that they weren’t able to enjoy fishing in the tournament, she added, “It brought tears to our eyes to see them all being so responsible. It is so amazing how the community has been so supportive of them.”
“It feels hopeful to be working on something with others that have the same interest and are all working on the same cause,” said Quinn Hiaasen. “We love being on the water and in the time we have been fishing we have seen the decline. We all spend so much time on the water that it would be irresponsible of us to not care about the lagoon.”
“Lines in the Lagoon is a fantastic event because it raises awareness and money for the crises in the lagoon and it’s young people talking to other young people about what we can do to restore the lagoon to health,” said Corey Westbrook.
