Over BZ$8K in Cash Prizes and Free Fuel Attracting Participants to Join 2018 Lobsterfest Fishing Tournament

By JOLIE POLLARD Editor in Chief The Placencia Breeze pollard.jolie@gmail.com

Want to round up enough teams for a fishing tournament in Belize these days? With fuel prices soaring, (Premium gasoline prices per gallon stand at BZ$11.67; regular, BZ$11.35 and diesel, BZ$10.63.) offer some eager fishermen free fuel and enticing cash prizes to top it off, and you're good to go!

Placencia Village Councilor Nadia Westby has been busy seeking sponsors for the two-day tournament to start on the Friday of Lobsterfest. She successfully secured a commitment from Thunderbird Marina to donate 10 gallons of fuel for each participating boat and a total of BZ$8,650 in cash prizes (as of press time). Prize sponsors include: Itz'ana Resort and Residences, R&B Construction, Muy'Ono Hospitality Management and Hatchet Caye.

Thanks to Westby's efforts, all participants will be sporting high quality quick dry tournament t-shirts instead of the usual cotton, courtesy of a generous Itz'ana donation. Contact Nadia Westby at 610-6949 for more info.

The Lobsterfest Fishing Tournament started in 1999 on the second anniversary of the festival to honor the village's celebrated fishing heritage and is now organized by the Placencia Village Council. To further attract visitors to the Peninsula during the months of June to October, the Placencia Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association also hosts a fishing tournament during the September holidays with former board member Steve Christensen at the helm of sponsorship seeking. ▪