In 2008, we will again have a SINGLE tournament winner, based on the
total accumulated team points over two days. The point formula used will
be 1 point per pound for a blue shark weighed in with a fork length over
nine (9.0) feet, and 1.5 points per pound for any legal mako, thresher
or porbeagle sharks weighed in during the tournament (fork length over
4.5 feet). This system will result in the team with the best 2 day
combined performance winning the tournament title.

In 2008, we will again be putting 50% of all net proceeds as prize
money for the tournament winner.  We will also have some very nice
merchandise to give to the 2008 Downeast Maine Shark Tournament winner,
including TWO Penn International 50 VSW 2- speed reels on Penn
International V stand-up rods (50-100 lb class with all Aftco rollers).
These outfits retail for about $900.00 apiece. The tournament winner
will also receive a nice trophy acknowledging their winning
accomplishments in the 2008 Downeast Maine Shark Tournament.

GRAND PRIZE

There will again be a $10,000 cash grand prize for breaking the current
Maine state rod and reel record for either the mako, porbeagle,
thresher, or blue shark. Last year, Mark Labbe, fishing on Captain Brad
MacDonald's boat the 'Relentless', landed and weighed in a new Maine
state record blue (397 lbs) in our tournament, landing Brad's team a
check for $10,000.00!! This record did not last long, as just a week
later a huge 451 lb blue shark was landed in the Casco Bay Classic shark
tournament, and became the current blue shark record.

The current Maine state rod and reel shark records are:

Mako, 680 lb.
Porbeagle, 548 lb.
Thresher, 425 lb.
Blue, 451 lbs

GRAND PRIZE RULES

The insurance company that covers our Grand Prize will pay for a state
certified new rod and reel record for EACH species of shark listed
above. In other words, if a potential new state rod and reel record
shark was landed in the 2008 tournament for EACH of the 4 species listed
above, and each was eventually certified by the State of Maine as the
new rod and reel record for that species, the insurance company would
pay out $10,000 for each shark ($40,000 total).

In the event of MORE THAN ONE potential Maine state record shark in the
rod and reel category being weighed in during the 2008 tournament FOR A
SINGLE SPECIES OF SHARK, the LARGEST record-breaking shark of that
species landed in the tournament will be the one that the tournament
will send forward to the State of Maine for verification as a new state
rod and reel record. If verified, the team landing this shark will be
the one awarded the $10,000 prize. Should the state NOT verify the
largest shark as a new state rod and reel record for some reason, the
next largest shark of this species that was weighed in as a potential
new state rod and reel record during the tournament would then be
eligible for the $10,000 prize if certified by the State of Maine.

ISSUING A GRAND PRIZE CHECK

In the event that a team does in fact weigh in a new potential state
rod and reel record for one or more species of shark during the Downeast
Maine Shark Tournament in 2008, and the record is eventually certified
by the State of Maine, the Downeast Maine Shark Tournament will issue
the $10,000 prize check to the person listed as the CAPTAIN of the
registered team, on their team registration form.

It is therefore VERY IMPORTANT that each team registered in the
tournament recognizes this fact. The tournament suggests that members of
each team registered in the tournament decide ahead of time with the
Captain of their team, as to how any grand prize money that might be
awarded for a new Maine rod and reel shark record is to be distributed
among team members. This is of course strictly up to each team to
decide. The tournament simply wants everyone to be aware of the fact
that any check issued for a new Maine State saltwater rod and reel shark
record attained during the tournament will be made out to the Captain of
your team.

FEDERAL PERMITS

All vessels fishing recreationally for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit. These 2007 Atlantic HMS permits cost $28.00 and can be purchased at the National Marine Fisheries Service permit shop. The website for purchasing these Permits is:

https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/InitialApp.asp 

YOUR TEAM BOAT NEEDS TO HAVE THIS PERMIT TO FISH IN THE DOWNEAST MAINESHARK TOURNAMENT (it is a boat permit, not an angler permit)! Please be aware of the fact that if you have already purchased a commercial Atlantic Bluefin Tuna permit, YOU ARE STILL ALLOWED TO FISH FOR SHARKS IN ANY SHARK TOURNAMENT THAT IS REGISTERED WITH THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE. The Downeast Maine Shark Tournament is in fact registered with the National Marine Fisheries Service.