Thank you letter from Shana and info on tax deductible TAG A GIANT Charters!! Read below and please reach out to her if interested.
Hi Bob,
It was truly a pleasure to meet with your club last week – you have a great group. Thank you for having me, and dinner was delicious!
Attached is some information about our new TAG Charters program. Please let me know if any of your members would like to be added to our charter mailing list that notifies interested parties of tagging charter opportunities.
Best,
Shana
************************************
Shana Miller
Director
Tag-A-Giant
P.O. Box 432
Babylon, NY 11702
(631) 539-0624
toll-free: (866) 533-3580
smiller@tagagiant.org
www.tagagiant.or
Tag-A-Giant Charters
Experience The Thrill Of A Lifetime!
Get Hooked On Giant Bluefin Tuna!
Become a scientist for a day and join Dr. Barbara Block and her Tag-A-Giant team on an expedition to tag giant Atlantic bluefin tuna off Nova Scotia or North Carolina. Catch, tag, and release 1,000-lb behemoths amidst the fall splendor of Cape Breton Island, Canada as part of "TAG In The Hood" (Port Hood, Nova Scotia, that is), or tag "smaller" fish (still 200+ lbs!) off North Carolina's Outer Banks in late winter - early spring. If you're game for a challenge - and the thrill of a lifetime, get in on the action by taking a turn in the fighting chair. Enjoy daily trips on the water aboard sportfishing vessels turned research tagging platforms. Captured fish will be pulled onto the vessel where scientists will place a sophisticated electronic tag on it before returning the fish to the sea. The tags will track the journeys of the bluefin throughout the North Atlantic Ocean and into spawning grounds in the Gulf of Mexico or potentially even the Mediterranean Sea. Tagging data in the Gulf will be analyzed to detect impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on bluefin in their only major western spawning ground. Dr. Block’s team has tagged 1,700 bluefin tunas, and the program offers an opportunity to work with scientists in a rugged environment handling one of Earth’s most majestic and imperiled animals.
Details:
• Minimum tax-deductible donation required for participation:
o $1,500 for North Carolina, USA
o $2,500 for Nova Scotia, Canada
• Donation entitles up to 2 passengers to join the scientific team onboard the tagging vessel for one day. Participants are responsible for all travel expenses, including travel to/from the dock, lodging and food (including food onboard the vessel; bag lunches and ample beverages are recommended).
• Tagging Duration: Vessels typically depart from the dock at 6 a.m. and return at 4 p.m., but times are dependent on tagging conditions. The vessel's Chief Scientist will make all decisions regarding departure and return.
• Vessels & Captains:
o North Carolina: Capt Dale Britt aboard the F/V Sensation, a 53' custom-built Jarrett Bay (http://www.sensationsportfishing.com/)
o Nova Scotia, Canada: Capt Dennis Cameron aboard the Bay Queen IV
• All participants will be required to sign Liability Release Forms prior to expedition departure.
• Conditions Advisory: All vessels are well-maintained and comply with safety requirements. However, there are inherent hazards and discomforts associated with being at sea, including but not limited to seasickness, rough seas, cold temperatures and lack of conveniences (e.g., all vessels have heads but not full bathrooms). Tagging vessels will not return to the dock early due to requests from the donating participant, except in the event of an emergency.
• Weather Advisory: All tagging expeditions are weather-dependent. We do not go out when the seas are very rough due to the increased risk of injury to the fish. We therefore recommend that participants dedicate at least 3 days to the trip to best ensure a day on the water. In the event that weather prevents tagging for the full duration of the trip, donations will be returned to the individuals upon their request.
• Scheduling: Tag-A-Giant scientists often do not know the dates of the tagging expedition until 1 month or less in advance due to issues with fish availability, weather, and permitting. TAG will exercise due diligence in communications with participants about potential tagging dates, but flexibility is often required. Typically, tagging occurs in North Carolina in March-April and in Nova Scotia in September-October.