ORACABESSA, St Mary — At the recent media launch of the Oracabessa Bay Marlin tournament held at the James Bond Beach, organisers and stakeholders say they are looking forward to a bigger staging of the event.

The event, which will be celebrating 21 years, was conceptualised by Chris Blackwell of Golden Eye Foundation and Oracabessa Fisheries Association president and Oracabessa Marine Trust Chairman David Murray.

Murray told the Jamaica Observer that fishermen have welcomed the event’s partnership with the Foundation.

“Our fishers are like security to the Golden Eye property,” Murray said.

He says fishermen from as far as Montego Bay have participated in the event.

Like the community, Murray too is looking forward to this year’s staging.

With new sponsors on board, Golden Eye Foundation, Oracabessa Bay, Executive Director Travis Graham says the event has grown in strength as they have stood by what the tournament has to offer.

“Twenty-one years is indeed a feat, and the event keeps growing stronger and stronger,” Graham said. “And what we can appreciate is that the fishers keep on coming. We have noted this because we stand by everything that we advertised as a tournament. We are community focused and that is the foundation of the initiative. Through the event, we support conservation, we support fisheries, and we bring everyone together to ensure that we enhance the space of Oracabessa as a place to live, work, and do business as a dynamic coastal community.”

Graham says the event has accommodated 60 boats over the past two years.

“When we tell people about the Marlin tournament they expect to see big boats and yachts when you come to Oracabessa because we are a fishing community,” he said. “What you will see are local fishers in their fibre boats.”

Graham describes it as exciting and eventful.

This year’s tournament will see sponsors, such as Grace Foods, that will be providing breakfast for the participants. Coldfield will be sponsoring the kiddie’s village. The National Fisheries Association will be present to ensure that all participating fishers are licensed and registered fishermen before participating.

The Domino Association of Jamaica will be the sponsor for the domino competition.

Sandals Foundation, who will be sponsoring for the first time, will provide the first, second, and third prizes of non-marlin catches, while the Tourist Enhancement Fund, which has been a part of the event for the past three years, has increased their sponsorship to $2 million in prizes.

Port Maria Mayor Fitzroy Wilson commended the organisers for what he says is the initiative of inclusiveness to the fisher folk and the community of Oracabessa in this event.

“What I would love to see is that this tournament gets bigger and better, where yachts from all over the world would come and want to participate, and where the sponsors will get recognition internationally,” he said.

Golden Eye Foundation Executive Director Travis Graham (Photo: Ingrid Henry)

Oracabessa Fisheries Association president and Oracabessa Marine Trust Chairman David Murray. (Photo: Ingrid Henry)