Hello! My name is Lisa T.S. Kitagawa. I am a Life Scout, member of the Order of the Arrow, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, and endeavor to be among the first year that girls can attain the Eagle Scout rank. I love sportfishing, aquaculture, science and conservation. I am excited about my Eagle Scout project would greatly appreciate your GoFundMe contributions to support my Eagle Scout project for fishing conservation and science to benefit the Pacific Fisheries Enhancement Foundation (“PacFish”) a 501(C )(3) nonprofit organization. My Eagle Scout Project will replace the screens on all sixteen (16) wood pen covers of the PacFish pens in Newport Harbor. PacFish is an integral and key organization in fishing conservation and science. PacFish provides, maintains and supports harbor pens to raise juvenile white sea bass and other species to grow in a natural environment, acclimate to local ocean temperature and salinity, reduce the risk of temperature shock and improve their survival when they are released into the ocean. The white sea bass project is a complex project with the teamwork, cooperation and support of government, scientific research, nonprofit organizations, sportfishing organizations and many volunteers. Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute breeds the white seabass and inserts tracking computer chips to collect data regarding where the white sea bass traveled as well as their growth and favored locations. PacFish raises juvenile white sea bass for several months in their harbor pens, then sportfishing boats and volunteers transport and release them into the ocean to help replenish the dwindling native population and increase the white sea bass population. After they are released into the ocean, they continue to grow and hopefully breed to replenish stocks. When caught by sportfishing anglers, the chips and location data contribute to science, fishing conservation and the sportfishing community. It is amazing how far the white seabass travel and how big they grow. They are beautiful. In the future, the Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute hopes to have halibut and other juvenile fish raised at PacFish to be enjoyed by recreational sportfishing anglers. The Balboa Angling Club (BAC) members are sportfishing enthusiasts who are passionate about fishing conservation. Many BAC members volunteer and support PacFish by feeding the juvenile fish and maintaining the PacFish pens. Replenishing white sea bass and other fish populations will hopefully have a permanent and positive impact which respects nature so sportfishing can be enjoyed by future generations. Due to Scouts BSA stringent water safety requirements, all project work on the PacFish pen covers must be done on land. Health and safety protocols must be followed including social distancing, face covers as well as scheduling to reduce the risks of COVID-19. Scouts have first priority for scheduling for service hours. This message is for fundraising. Please understand that scheduling volunteers is separate from this fundraising component of my Eagle Scout project.I am grateful for the support of the Balboa Angling Club (BAC) since my Eagle Scout project for PacFish would not be possible without the BAC. BAC supports community service, fishing conservation and education. My Eagle Scout project work must be done on land, and I am thankful that the BAC will allow us to use the BAC parking lot for the construction work on the project. I am grateful to the BAC President Casey McCann and BAC VP Dave Edmondson for providing boats to transport the large 4 ft. X 8 ft. wood pen covers between the PacFish pen (which is moored in Newport Beach harbor) and the BAC so that the project work can all be done at the BAC parking lot. It is essential to have the BAC boats to provide the logistical support of transporting the pen covers.I love ocean fishing, science and technology. My Japanese American lawyer mother has taken me sportfishing since I was 4 yrs. old. She taught me fishing conservation as we usually release the fish that we catch. When I was 14 yrs. old, I caught a 200 lb. bluefin tuna. Last fall while I was 16 yrs. old, I caught a 132.7 lb. bluefin tuna following IGFA sportfishing rules and battled it standing up wearing an AFTCO harness. My mother and I are members of the Balboa Angling Club, and we are also Lifetime Members of the Coastal Conservation Association California (CCA-CAL), International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and other fishing clubs and informal fishing groups. Thanks to AFTCO Chairman Bill Shedd and CCA-CAL, I was honored and inspired to meet Dr. Barbara Block, a Stanford professor of marine biology whose billfish and bluefin tuna satellite tagging program has contributed to science and sportfishing. I am proud to wear the “Tag a Giant” cap. Although I have caught many different species of fish, I have never caught a white seabass, although I have been on a lot of boat rides for them. Someday, I hope to catch a white seabass, maybe it even will be one of the juveniles raised in the PacFish pens from my Eagle Scout project.
My mother is the Troop 606 Scouts Fishing Merit Badge counselor and we organized and lead several Irvine Troop 606 Fishing Merit Badge trips with Newport Landing Sportfishing and CCA-CAL. We taught other scouts and their parents about sportfishing and fishing conservation. The scouts and their parents had so much fun that they are now enthusiastic about fishing and fishing conservation. My father and brother are both Eagle Scouts. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to be among the first year that girls are eligible to become Eagle Scouts.To earn the Eagle rank, I must plan, develop, and demonstrate leadership of scouts and others in a service project helpful to the community, it cannot be strictly fundraising. My project is complex and will require many hours of labor and materials, logistics and volunteers. Please understand that I am required to request donations to fund the costs for materials and other costs for my project which will benefit the community. Any financial assistance you can contribute to help me achieve my goal of completing my Eagle Scout project will be greatly appreciated. The funds are to help pay for the estimated $2,000 total costs for my Eagle Scout project. I sincerely hope to raise significantly more since ALL additional funds in excess of the Eagle Scout project WILL be donated to PacFish. PacFish needs the funds to be able to continue the fishing conservation project and maintenance costs.Fishing is fun, refreshing, exciting and essential. Fishing is important for mental health, stress relief as well as the enjoyment and appreciation of nature. Thank you for your consideration of a contribution to support my Eagle Scout Project to benefit PacFish, and a better future for the community.
With appreciation,
Lisa T.S. KitagawaIrvine
Troop 606
Volunteers are Needed!
CCA-CAL members are welcome to volunteer and are required to sign up on the below signup forms (for scheduling and social distancing requirements)
**Masks must be worn at all times**
All Eagle Project work must be on land and will be at:
Balboa Angling Club Parking lot
200 A Street
Newport Beach, CA 92661
SAT FEB. 13, 2021 9am – 5pm
SUN FEB. 14, 2021 9am – 5pm
Click here to access the COVID-19 Acknowledgement Form
Click here to view photos from past events!
Volunteers are asked to bring the following:
Electric Power Drills
Extension cords
Utility knives/box cutters
Heavy Duty Scissors
Work gloves
Eye shields
