CANTON — Kristian Green of Potsdam has been named the Grand Marshal for this year’s St. Lawrence International Junior Carp Tournament, August 11 to 13 on the St. Lawrence River from Ogdensburg to Massena.

Green, who turns 20 on June 26, is a longtime participant in the annual catch-and-release event that has brought hundreds of boys and girls to the banks of the St. Lawrence to outwit big, strong carp. He first fished in the tournament seven years ago at age 12; he skipped the contest the following year but was in each tournament after until “aging out” at 18. In last summer’s event he fished in the adult category, and coached the award-winning team, Jay’s Dream, that included his cousin Kaylee.

The tournament has always been a family affair for Green, the son of Rob and Becky Green of Potsdam and a graduate of Potsdam Central School who currently works in construction. He’s encouraged “a lot of younger family members, and friends” to participate in the event and enjoy “the fun fight” that carp provide to anglers. His family and friends usually camp out on the river during the tournament, too.

Bob Giordano of Chase Mills, president of the international Carp Anglers Group (CAG), said that young anglers like Green are key to the future of catch-and-release carp angling.

“We want to keep introducing the younger generations to the excitement and camaraderie of carp fishing,” he said. “Especially when one of the world’s top carp fisheries, the St. Lawrence River, is in our backyard.”

Carp fishing injects $9 billion into economies worldwide, Giordano said, noting that he and other local CAG members are working to increase awareness of the St. Lawrence fishery among carp fishing fans nationally and internationally. The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce began the Junior Carp event in 2003 and since then local CAG members have been integral volunteers with the tournament. In 2015 CAG officially partnered with the Chamber to manage the event and promote it to their members and beyond.

The 2016 Junior Carp Tournament takes place August 11 to 13 and is open to boys and girls ages 11 to 18. The young anglers fish a roughly 30-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence from Ogdensburg to Massena, and vie for cash awards and prizes.

The entry fee remains the same as last year: $100 per angler if registered by July 1; after that date, registration is $125. Contestants register to fish individually and may also register as part of a two- to four-person team. Parents or guardians can sign up to fish, too.

Registration covers participation in all tournament-related events during the three days, including a pre-tournament fishing school sponsored by Mort Backus & Sons. All carp caught during the tournament are returned live to the St. Lawrence River.

For more information and to download a registration form, go to the county Chamber’s website: http://business.northcountryguide.com/events/details/the-14th-annual-st-lawrence-international-jr-carp-tournament-518, call the Chamber at 315-386-4000, or email Chamber Events Manager Jo Ann Roberts at jroberts@stlawrencecountychamber.org. For more information about CAG, visit www.carpanglersgroup.com.

Sponsors and volunteers are needed for the event, too; for more information email Roberts at the Chamber or contact CAG President Giordano at barrongd@aol.com, 315-323-4632.