THE BACK PACK 



"The Back Page" is an update 

 on Sea Grant activities — on 

 research, marine education and 

 advisory services. It's also a good 

 place to find out about meetings, 

 workshops and new publications. 

 For more information on any of 

 the projects described, contact the 

 Sea Grant offices in Raleigh 

 (919)/737-2454). 



In North Carolina, 

 the charter boat season 

 generally lasts from 

 Easter weekend to 

 Thanksgiving. But some 

 boat owners have been 

 booking groups since last 

 fall. And most boats are already re- 

 served for the more popular spring and 

 summer weekends. 



Jim Luxton at the Harker's Island 

 Fishing Center says North Carolina 

 has three traditional types of charter 

 boat fishing. For the strong stomachs, 

 there's fishing on the Gulf Stream. 

 You could look forward to catching 

 tuna, wahoo, dolphin and billfish. 

 That's about a 12-hour trip with an 

 average cost of $500. 



Charter boats also make in-shore 

 fishing trips that last nine to 10 hours 

 and average $400 in cost. Your catch 

 might include king mackerel or 

 bluefish. 



If it's bass, grouper or snapper that 

 you're after, you need to go bottom 

 fishing, says Luxton. That's about a 

 $350 trip. 



While those prices are averages for 

 North Carolina boats, Luxton says 

 they usually include the boat for the 

 day, the crew, bait, tackle and ice. He 

 adds that most charter boat captains 

 are willing to tailor the trip for the 

 customer. 



Most charter boats hold about six 

 passengers. If you're looking for a less 

 expensive fishing day, you might con- 

 sider a head boat. They hold 25 to 75 

 people and cost $40-$45. 



Luxton advises making reservations 

 for a charter boat four weeks in 

 advance. 



Larry Giardina and Sam Thomas, 

 of Sea Grant's Marine Advisory Ser- 

 vices, will be displaying packaged and 

 frozen seafood at the Carolina Food 

 Service Expo, sponsored by the N.C. 

 Restaurant Association, March 22-24 

 at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart. 



They'll be answering questions from 

 restaurateurs and food service 

 operators — when the seafoods are in 

 season, where they can be bought and 

 how much they cost — and making con- 

 tact with buyers. Giardina says he'll 

 report back to seafood dealers in North 

 Carolina so they can follow up on his 

 leads. 



The booth, "Seafood USA," is spon- 

 sored by the Gulf and South Atlantic 

 Fisheries Development Foundation. 

 For more information, contact Larry 

 Giardina at (919) 726-0125. 



John Sanders, Sea 

 Grant's marine weather 

 awareness specialist, has 

 been spending a lot of 

 time before the cameras 

 lately. He has been help- 

 ing the Educational 

 Media Center at North Carolina State 

 University (NCSU) put together a 20- 

 minute film, "Before the Hurricane 

 Strikes," warning people of the 

 hazards of hurricanes and telling them 

 how to prepare for powerful storms. 



The film features old footage from 

 Hurricane Hazel, new footage from 

 Kitty Hawk, where 12 cottages were 

 undermined by an October 1982 

 northeaster, and time-lapse satellite 

 photography of the tropical areas 

 where hurricanes are spawned. The 

 film will also feature Pamlico Junior 

 High School students going through 

 the steps needed to prepare for a 

 hurricane. 



While the film is visually tailored for 

 North Carolina audiences, it can be 

 used in other Atlantic and Gulf states, 

 Sanders says. "The script was written 

 in such a way that the information can 

 be used in any state threatened by 

 hurricanes," says Sanders. 



The film is part of a package, which 



includes an instructional guide, that 

 will be distributed by the Educational 

 Media Center. The package will be 

 available to schools, museums and 

 other interested groups for a minimal 

 charge. For information about the 

 film, write Jeannie Seamon, 

 Educational Media Center, 2318 D.H. 

 Hill Library, NCSU, Raleigh, N.C. 

 27607 or call (919) 737-3971. 



Luis Aguilar Valdez, a University of 

 Mexico professor of animal ecology 

 and aquaculture, will spend the next 

 four months in Raleigh learning more 

 about American methods of 

 aquaculture. Ron Hodson, Sea Grant's 

 associate director and director of the 

 Aquaculture Research and 

 Demonstration Center in Aurora, will 

 serve as host for Aguilar. 



Aguilar is participating in the Latin 

 American Visiting Scholar Program. 

 He will be learning more about tilapia, 

 an African food fish. Aguilar wants to 

 explore the feasibility of fertilizing 

 culture waters with swine and poultry 

 manure to increase blue-green algae 

 growth. Tilapia feed on the algae. 

 Hodson, who has also been conducting 

 some tilapia studies, will be advising 

 Aguilar. 



Leon Abbas, UNC 

 Sea Grant's marine 

 recreation specialist, has 

 been recognized by the 

 N.C. Marina Association 

 for "providing educa- 

 tional opportunities" to 

 the state's marina industry. 



Abbas received a plaque during the 

 association's annual meeting, held Jan. 

 21 and 22 at Wrightsville Beach. Jerry 

 Macon, past-president of the associa- 

 tion, said that Abbas has "helped us 

 with our projects, and with our com- 

 munications with state agencies." 



Abbas received a similar award two 

 years ago, when the association 

 honored him for providing information 

 the group needed to organize its 

 programs. 



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