The official ribbon cutting for the Sport Fishing Education Center and Aquaculture Facility gets underway at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 26, 2002 at Cedar Beach Marina on Ocean Parkway in the Town of Babylon. In addition to the official ceremony activities and demonstrations are planned from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. New York Fishing Tackle Trade Association members and supporters, recreational fishing enthusiasts, fishing club representatives, guests and the general public are invited to attend.

Funds to construct the Sport Fishing Education and Aquaculture Center were secured by Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, who will be on hand to cut the ribbon along with Town of Babylon officials and other dignitaries. The Town of Babylon donated the land. Thanks to the efforts of Assemblyman Sweeney, the construction of the Center is an unprecedented acknowledgement of the importance of saltwater recreational fishing, a sport that contributes over one billion dollars to the economy of New York State.

The Sport Fishing Education and Aquaculture Center will provide an arena in which to promote saltwater recreational fishing while also teaching angling ethics, including catch and release fishing. "Bob Sweeney has been a strong advocate for the wise use of our coastal resources," says Dr. Jack Mattice, Director of New York Sea Grant, a coastal research and education group affiliated with the Center. "His support of this Center is an extension of his previous efforts and will help develop a new generation of informed fishermen and women." The goal of the Sport Fishing Education and Aquaculture Center is to educate coastal communities, especially youths, about our marine resources and ecosystems, and to help them develop a heightened awareness of the values of the marine environment.

Cornell Cooperative Extension's Marine Program has developed an educational curriculum for school groups that would come to the Center as well as outreach programs where Center staff would go into schools. This curriculum will be offered beginning in January and covers many New York State standards as set forth by the State Department of Education.

The Sport Fishing Education and Aquaculture Center will house a fishing museum that exhibits the development in fishing tackle over the years. A fishing library is also planned. The Center will operate a rod and reel loaner program to allow more people to participate in the sport.

Several groups with environmental interests affiliated with the Center are working together to coordinate program and outreach development. They include Recreational Fishing Alliance, Nor'east Saltwater, NY Sportfishing Federation, Long Island Beach Buggy Association, The Fisherman, Coastal Conservation Association, NY, New York Sea Grant, NYS DEC, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program.

Hofstra University professor of marine biology Dr. Gene Kaplan is constructing a re-circulating aquaculture demonstration laboratory.  The demonstration lab will be used to determine the feasibility of rearing marine finfish species for the marketplace, in lieu of harvesting the natural resources.  One species of interest is killifish, an important bait fish used extensively on Long Island.  Killifish are also used as a research tool in science and as a natural mosquito control in our wetlands.  The aquaculture research at this facility may set the groundwork for a future finfish restocking plan. Aquaculture may serve as a partial solution to reversing the decline in populations of popular species.

The site will also serve as a venue for public hearings and a meeting place for groups interested in marine conservation.

To complement the Sport Fishing Education and Aquaculture Center, a nearby pier will be built along the state channel, giving anglers access to some of the finest fishing grounds in New York State. The site will also offer interpretive descriptions of the nearby wetlands and the wildlife that inhabits them.   Construction for the pier is scheduled for Spring 2003.

For additional information contact: Lenora Daniel (631) 968-5362, pdaniel_hu@earthlink.net