Stewardship Tip Mar 24th, 2009 – Take Billfish off the Menu
Historically, anglers at Panama ‘s Tropic Star Lodge released an average of 3,500 to 4,000 sailfish per year. That number, though, has declined over the past few years to 1,800 and continues to drop every year. If the Tropic Star Lodge sat on the Atlantic coast of the country, the drop might have been even more dramatic.
Since 1961, populations of billfish in the Atlantic have dropped dramatically. According to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, blue marlin are overfished with the population at roughly 39% of the biomass that would produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY). White marlin are overfished with the population at less than 25% of the biomass for MSY.
The Madness: Despite the fact that the United States has a ban on the commercial fishing and importation of billfish from the Atlantic, we are the number one importer of billfish. Between 2003 and 2006, we imported 1,260 metric tons annually, the equivalent of about 12,000 billfish. The United States does not have a ban on billfish from the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Method: The primary cause of the billfish’s decline is the unrestrained use of longlines and gillnets. These two non-selective gear types are, quite simply, unmanageable. They cannot be set to avoid catching and killing large numbers of non-target animals. Excessive bykill is an unavoidable byproduct of this type of fishing.
Take Marlin off the Menu: We can send a message to the world’s commercial fleets and let them know that the market is now closed for billfish. We aren’t taking any more orders. The first step is to stop eating billfish. The second step is to encourage restaurants and vendors to take the Marlin-Free Pledge (and let them know that you prefer seafood from fleets that do not use longlines or gillnets). The third step is to patronize those restaurants and vendors who have taken the pledge. The list is small, but it is growing!
Why it is important to the fish: Although not as well studied and documented as the Atlantic populations, evidence indicates that billfish in the Pacific are on the decline as well. Indeed, authors at Marlin, The International Sportfishing Magazine have speculated that “today’s ‘hot spots’ for big-game fish may actually be the last refuges for these species. If so, we had better think about their protection from excessive industrial-scale fishing which has been so well documented for the Atlantic.”
More than any other fish, sailfish and spearfish are among the greatest trophies in the world of angling. The blue marlin, the black marlin, the striped marlin, and the white marlin represent the absolute pinnacle. Our actions can help protect these majestic creatures.
Take action today by taking marlin off the menu. For more information on how you can help the world’s billfish population, visit the Take Marlin off the Menu website.
This week’s sponsor-partner: The Reel Discount Store
The Reel Discount Store features more than reels. It’s the perfect place to find a specialty, hard to find, or favorite reel at excellent prices. A reel doesn’t do you much good without line to go on it. The Reel Discount Store includes premium-quality line with most of their reels.
Their partnership makes this week’s “Stewardship Tip” possible.
Rising demand for our weekly Stewardship Tip and a new partnership with Fly Cast America now makes the Stewardship Tip available in Spanish. Ahora, reciba el Stewardship Tip en español. Gentileza de Fly Cast America.
To read the weekly Stewardship Tip in Spanish, click here Simplemente haga click aquí si desea recibir el Stewardship tip en Español.
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