Ascension Ocean Festival 2024 – Ascension Island Government

Ascension Ocean Festival 2024

June 21, 2024

Protect

A success worth celebrating

This year’s Ocean Festival was a huge success, attracting nearly 250 community members to join the AIG Conservation Team in celebrating Ascension Island’s unique marine environment. The event took place on June 7 and 8 at the George Town Marina.

The theme of this year’s festival is sustainable fisheries, highlighting the community’s commitment to protecting and caring for marine resources. The celebration showcases a variety of activities and educational initiatives to promote sustainable practices.

The festival kicked off with live music on Friday night, with delicious food and drinks provided by DAD’s and Saint’s. The evening was rounded out by a performance by 7 Degrees South and a debut appearance by Moon Base One. The event was a huge success and plans are underway for similar events in the future.

The festivities on Saturday kicked off with AIG Conservation’s annual fishing competition, which attracted 32 participants to compete in both rock and boat fishing competitions. The dock was bustling with activity as people gathered (helped by an additional minibus service driven by Conrad) to witness the arrival of the first fish. The largest fish caught on the day was a 50kg Wahoo, caught by Garry Benjamin on the Woeback and brought to the dock by the Kingfisher, who came to the rescue after other boats got into difficulty. Other notable catches included:

• Justin and a 25.7 kg yellowfin tuna
• Freddie with a 6.0 kg amberjack
• Chelsea with a 6.0 kg spotted moray eel
• Sean and a 3.5 kg grouper
• Nathan holding the 9.15 kg Horse Eye Jack

The competition was followed by wonderful storytelling by the Girl Scouts, a captivating performance of “MPA Around the World” by the Twin Boat Drama Club, and an Ascension-themed performance of the Boatman’s Song by the MPA Youth Committee.

Ascension young people played a big part in the festival, running stalls and providing entertainment. The MPA Youth Committee sold cakes and organised competitions, raising nearly £60 on the day, which will go towards funding future MPAYC projects.

To add to the excitement and draw a large crowd, Herbie and the Sea Rescue Team, assisted by the police, put on an action-packed emergency show complete with sirens, lights and high-speed rowing boats.

In the main festival area, various stalls offered locally handmade crafts, community art projects, arts and crafts, VR headsets, and a science stall with games and updates on the latest marine conservation initiatives. Delicious food was provided by Mahen, Larry, Two Boats Club, Elaine and the NAAFI Truck, and ice cold beverages were provided by Saint’s.

The AIG Conservation Team would like to express their sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the festival, especially the AIG Operations Team for all their help with the set up. This event would not be possible without the community’s collaborative efforts. We are also grateful for the financial support from the UK Government’s Blue Ribbon Programme and the Blue Marine Foundation.

The team is eagerly looking forward to next year’s festival and welcomes suggestions and photos. Please email conservationenquiries@ascension.gov.ac or call 66403/66359. Alternatively, use the QR code to complete the quick online feedback form.