Lifetime of fishing awaits lucky youth attending Marine Fisheries’ Bicentennial Jamboree

A lifetime of fishing awaits one lucky youth who attends the upcoming N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Bicentennial Jamboree. Neuse Sport Shop has volunteered to sponsor a Jamboree Passport raffle, and the prize is a Lifetime Coastal Recreational Fishing License!

The raffle is open to North Carolina residents aged 18 and under. Participants will visit the exhibits listed on the passport to get stamps, then return the fully stamped passports to be entered into the drawing.

The Bicentennial Jamboree runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ headquarters campus, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.

Activities include more than 30 exhibits and food trucks. Just to name a few:

Several other environmental agencies and museums will exhibit, as well.

Get a full description of events on the Bicentennial Jamboree webpage.

The Bicentennial Jamboree is part of a year-long celebration commemorating the passage of the first statewide marine fisheries law in North Carolina.

On Dec. 30, 1822, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law titled An Act to Prevent the Destruction of Oysters, and for Other Purposes, in the State that restricted oyster harvest gear and prohibited the export of North Carolina oysters to other states.

This and numerous subsequent laws passed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually led to the establishment of what is now the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission.