The Barbados Game Fishing Association (BGFA) is pleased to announce that the Ebony Anglers (EA), a team of four, black, female competitive fishers from North Carolina, USA are set to make their Caribbean sport fishing tournament debut at the 2025 Republic Bank Sir Charles Williams International Fishing Tournament taking place from the 8 - 12th April 2025.
Of the EA team, Gia Peebles, Lesleigh Mausi, Glenda Turner, and Tiana Davis will take part in the tournament, which spans five days, with three days of fishing. Their mission seeks to promote diversity and inclusion in competitive women’s fishing for women of colour and to model the strength, balance and resilience of Black women through the sport of competitive fishing, boating and elevated outdoor living.
True to their mission, they will be hosting a Junior Anglers Camp in collaboration with the Barbados Fisheries Division (BFD) for a group of twenty Barbadian children between the ages 8 to 13 years-old. This camp seeks to equip youth with practical fishing skills, such as knot tying, safety at sea, fishing gear and equipment, casting, boat specifications, fish identification and conservation, while imbuing them with a legacy of leadership, sportsmanship and excellence.
The camp will be the Caribbean edition of the EA’s educational programs Black Boys Boat (#BlackBoysBoat) and Black Girls Fish (#BlackGirlsFish), with the overall mission to empower youth with life skills that promote self-sufficiency, physical and intellectual fortitude and sound leadership values.
As it is the vision of the BFD to encourage younger generations to see the value of the fishing industry and pursue blue careers, the EA’s mission of promoting the legacy of leadership, sportsmanship and excellence for youth through education and mentoring, aligns well with the Division’s mandate and the mission of BGFA.
Barbados stands to benefit in a big way from game fishing as it gains popularity locally and internationally. It has been estimated that the recreational fishery in Barbados generates USD$2.55 million annually in revenue based on over 5,000 trips, foreign investment, employment and foreign exchange gains. Tournaments and game fishing in general, play an important role in blue economy development in Barbados as we aspire to become a large ocean state.
The participation of the Ebony Anglers in this year’s tournament will be integral in providing the prestige to the event which will promote the competition to anglers in the Caribbean and beyond.
