HAWAII STOP KILLING BILLFISH

[Mike_Billow]

Anyone else have a option on Hawaii allowing the charter boat industry to kill as many billfish as they want ?
These people must stop this practice ASAP....
If anyone out there is going to Hawaii please TELL your captian you want all billfish released PERIOD

[Linwood]

Seems to me that customers on charter boats should have the choice of whether or not to keep thier catch. They certainly pay enough.

[ANDREA_GAIL]

This post has been removed.

[MEA_CULPA]

This post has been removed.

[Linwood]

iT`S TRUE!Captains sometimes let their egos stray beyond the boundaries of reason.Post your E mail address coward.Obviously the population of Hawaii has a large number of people who really like to eat fish.It wasn`t that long ago that sportfishing boats sold thier catch to offset thier expenses:right here on the mainland.Pier 5 miami FL was our family`s favorite hangout.And the smoked marlin was soooo good.I`ll gentlemen`s bet a few of them still do.Face it guys.If it is legal there`s not much we can do until the law is changed.Just don`t start at the Federal level first.Remember the Japanese fishing vessel sunk by a USN submarine off Hawaii? Nobody asked one simple question.... WHAT IN THE HELL WERE THEY DOING THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!??? Fishing, of course.

[Mike_Billow]

Geez sorry I'm just expressing my opinion. I thought thats what these forums are for.
I don't like seeing any billfish killed.
That my view I'm sorry if I offended anyone that was not my intension.

[Linwood]

Your post addressed an issue that provoked a response.Hey! I even got an apology which Iam very thankful for.I have had the opportunity to raise two sons on opposite ends of the political spectrum and I am well aquainted with extremist opinion and propaganda from the left and the right.Trust me:a lot of what you read on these forums have nothing to do with reason but are simply designed to stir up strife and hatred.I am concerned when I hear people say that government intervention on the federal level is the solution to every problem we face.On the other hand, it worries me to know that there are those among us who feel that large corporations can be trusted to do the right thing.Politicians often pay too much attention to lobbyists and greenbacks.HA HA NOW THERE`S A WORD THAT WILL BECOME EXTINCT! Take what the ocean has to offer because in my experience ocean conditions are the most influential factor affecting fish populations.Overfishing comes next,which is the partner of overconsumption.All of which leads to a bitter fight over what remains.Of course if one claims to be an environmentalist,that automatically qualifys you as an expert.I`m stepping on some toes so I better stop before someone starts spelling their curses.Thanks Mike for opening a can of worms I hope will be dissected by the Marlin community.

[Linwood]

Hey Mike Billow!,and the rest of you guys,check out this fishing supply web site. pop-hawaii.com This makes me feel really angry to know that the Sandwich Islands has probably become an international hub for Longline fishing where fish are sold at auction to the highest bidder.They are targeting everything they can.Marlin should be prized, not valued at a buck and change a pound.Alaska has been multi-national for a long time and it looks like the same has happened in the Pacific right on top of a major migratory route.Happy Global Economy everybody!

[Mike_Billow]

It's all about the money....

Sad state of affairs

[Warren_Brantley]

OK - BEEN THERE, JUST DID THAT

I just returned from 8 days offshore billfishing KENEKA II with Capt. Billy Dorr out of Kona ************************ at Honokohau Harbor. I flew back June 1st. Anywhere from 2 to 20 boats were fishing daily, mostly for billfish. During those 8 days I did not see any fish brought in and weighed. This included a 700 pound Blue tagged on "Fish Wish", a 500 Blue that almost landed in the boat with us (and was released after 45 minutes), and a 200 pound Mako; also released. My Capt. was careful to release our billfish, tag them (except spearfish; we simply released them), and we only kept one Wahoo (Ono) to eat and some small tuna (Aku)to use as baits. We used quality tackle and hooks and got our billfish released quickly so they would be in prime condition. We also used 80s and 130s so to have power advantage and not drag out the fights.

Not one billfish hung for pictures and sale at the Kona Charter Service dock during those 8 days. I did find smoked Marlin in the "Cash and Sack Store" (at $10 a pound)in Kona along with a variety of exotic fish and ocean life. My observation is that it appears that a majority of the professional charter services are making a concerted effort to release most all billfish. This obviously is not an absolute. Dead fish and those that cannot be revived are kept (as they are in all fisheries) by professional charter boats. I cannot speak for private fisherman.

I also found an excellent selection of charter boats with prices that are comparable or better than SE Florida, the Gulf Coast, off Venice, LA; Cabo, Caraballeda and other locations I frequent. This was a very pleasant finding. One can choose full day charters from $300 up to "skies the limit". And a day was a full 8 1/2 to 9 hours of fishing.

I think I'll go back and verify this again. It is a simply magnificent fishery!!!

I cannot say the same about LA Airport (LAX).
Mahalo, WGB

[Mike_Billow]

WGB, Thank-you for your comments..
If you would have went into any local KTA store you would have found smoked Marlin for sale. ( Least thats my experiences)
Also go to thecharterdesk.com and read the fish report you will then see how many fish are actually weight.....

Have a great day and release those fish for our future fisherman..

Cheers Mike

[Matt]

How could you even think of killing a Billfish. Alright I have tasted the meat, it was good but no better then dolphin or grouper that there are many to go around (obying bag limits of course). It is a heartless act to kill billfish. If you enjoy billfishing at all and you have an IQ over 10 you should realize that if you kill off the species you will no longer be able to catch the fish. (DUH) In my eyes captains or anglers that kill mass amounts of billfish are no better then Hitler and deserve to spend the rest of eternity in hell. But not to be a hippocrit the occasional world record billfish could be an excuse to let one slid in the boat however billfish should never be killed otherwise.

[Linwood]

I know it almost never happens, but a gut or gill hooked fish is another exception that should be taken into consideration. Especially in countries with a poor population. I have learned that the stomach is good for making friends. Skates in CA were very hard to sell to buyers,but the Mexican labor in the San JOAQUIN Valley would drive over to buy from me @.75 a pound as they seemed to prefer them to many other types available.There just isn`t a substitute for good judgement.

[Mike_billow]

Thanks for all the replies but these charter outfit in Hawaii are very greedy in my opinion...
If you are interested go to thecharterdesk.com and click on fish statistics you will see these people keep over 50 percent of the fish they catch .... YES 50% or greater...

If you look at the catch report you can see the which boats are keeping their catch some are very obvious...

Anyhow I looked through this report and I know who I would NEVER fish with...
The above is just my opinion to each there own I guess...

Have a great day and please catch and RELEASE.....
Mike

[Mike_Billow]

I should of also noted that by going through the charterdesks fish report that there are some excellent charters out of Kona that look like they release all billfish....
All a person has to do is a little research...

Just wanted to be fair

Mike

[Robert_Berg]

I fished Kona at the very end of August on the great Pamela. On this amazing day, with my 7 and 9 year olds kids watching, I hooked, tagged and released an awesome approx. 800 pound blue marlin after a short 45 minute fight, thanks to my incredible captain and mate, Peter and Teddy Hoogs. These true professionals were delighted with my decision to tag and release this beauty. So were my kids. We effected a very healthy release. One half hour later, we caught and released a 175 pounder. The Hoogs are true conservationists. Unfortunately, on another day at Kona, I witnessed 3 or 4 marlin brought back to the dock. Granted, these were smaller fish in the 150 pound range, but it seemed that many charter captains there encourage their clients to land the fish for a nice picture at the dock. It sickened me. Of course, I would have liked to have a great photo of me and my kids standing next to our 800 pound beast, but we absolutely loved seeing her revived, tagged and released to breed millions more baby marlins. I would outlaw landing of any fish that do not come up dead at the boat. Otherwise the great fishing I experienced at Kona this summer will be history very soon.

[RLewin]

Stop your crying, Just look at the articals in " Marlin" they show dead marlin all the time and very few from Kona. The latest magazine has more dead marlin pictures than I have seen in a long time. As for Peter Wright telling you about conservation, that's a joke. He has killed more marlin than anyone else I can think of. Peter tell the truth about your past, and don't say "it's in the past" YOU STILL KILL MARLIN!!! Marlin Parker in not far behind Peter, They both have S.D.S.
( Small dick syndrome).Marin will always be killed for sport or profit, can't be change. Fishing hurts fish, if your such a bleeding heart for the fish, take up knitting.
Bill Evans

[Linwood]

Hear Here!I think it is about time people admitted that fishing is a bloodsport.When I chased tuna,I found great pleasure in filling the cockpit with cold water Albacore while the deck hose made the water run blood red out the scuppers.I have been in contact with a Captain that runs charters out of the big island and you have a choice to keep or release your catch depending on who you fish with.That is OK by me,because bloodthirsty fishermen like me should be allowed to fish as long as it is legal.These fishing grounds are some of the best anywhere in the world and a lot of people know that world record Marlin are on those grounds.Black Bart spent some time fishing Hawaii looking for the elusive 2grander most of us know is out there.Leave these poor little guys alone and practice your profession as you see fit.Peter Wright can slay all the Marlin he wants too as long as it is legal.

[Mart]

Please don't hide behind politrics and don't behave as normal human destroyer. If you can rent fishing boats, you should have the money for decent quality camera or video as well. And trying to take good pictures of jumping fish is a very enjoyable sport for itselves. To my experience, everyone likes jumping fish pictures/film!

To my opinion Fish that are a life near the boat are far more beatiful (action and colours) than dead fish at the harbour.

Please stop the killing, use your brains (or just follow my advice) and look back your video or photos with colourful jumping fish in stead of your s.d.s. photo with dead fish. If you catch a nice fish, you will remember the fight and enjoy the thought that maybe it is still swimming somewhere around the globe, you really don't need ugly gray dead fish pictures to prove yourself. To who?

If fish die during the fight, **************** happens, ok take your picture and give the fish to poor locals. But when you fight hard without time-outs and you give the fish the time to revive besides the boat afterwards, almost all of them will survive.

I'am very worried about the destructive killing which is taking place all over the world in all of our oceans and seas. Legal? Human nature? are no reasons for killing guys. Just behave yourself and stop the killing. We have to start somewhere. Please cut the legal crab stuff!!!

just fish, catch, drink, smoke, take pictures, do illegal things if you like ,but please don't kill our billfish. It is just not yours!

respect for nature, peace and love my brethren,
stop babylon and nasty legal politrics.

so long,

mart.

[Lou_Sassel]

They taste too good to put back....Hell, might as well start releasing all the tunas, wahoo's, dolphins, kings, groupers, snappers....

You guys are tool boxes. Billfishing is still unreal round the world, everywhere the water is right, there are fish, same as it always has been, and as it always will be. But you kooks have to keep bitching about something.......

[Mart]

sweet dreams lou!

[Warren_Brantley]

For those of you that venture out of your country a fine spearfish bite has started over the past two weeks just offshore of the Kona ************************. Here you can drop baits a quarter mile offshore and expect results. Boats start from $300 a day and the sky is the limit. I have my personal favorite but I'll keep that to me. The blue bite is improving and the stripies are beginning to move in; albiet small (which is normal here.) This one of the hardest species of billfish to put on your list and Kona has the top bite in the world with the highest CPU (catch per unit days of fishing)in the world both for chuckers and for Pacific Blues. I've fished with Capt. Billy Dorr there and it is an affordable and pleasant experience. Great harbor, convenient fishing, and we released two chuckers along with some blues. Try it if you are after all the species. WGB

[Nick_Fuegi]

There's a new generation of anglers coming through. They don't want to kill billfish and they don't want to be part of a system which does. Whilst I love fishing, I am finding it hard to justify sport-fishing to myself having seen many billfish killed.

Clearly human impact means that there are simply not enough fish to allow everyone to kill their catch. We have seen the consequences of slaughter like that in the past.

It is not acceptable that whilst most anglers and operators to do the right thing and release their catches, a few selfish idiots still kill their catch. There simply cannot be ANY justification for this. I've been to Hawaai and let's face it, there is no food shortage! I bet the average waist-size in hawaii is right up there with the largest in the world.
If your business is not viable without the proceeds of the sale of dead billfish, then I suggest that if you truely love fishing, you fold to progress and either stop klling the fish or find a new line of business.

The killing of increasingly scarce majestic ocean predators for pleasure/profit/trophies is no longer acceptable.

Catching is only barley justifiable if you, TAG and RELEASE and then make sure you do your bit to promote conservation of the species. It's only the research and conservation efforts of anglers that LOVE the species they catch that make the practice morally justifiable. You do not love the species you unnecessarily kill for profit. You love only yourself.

Even the old "It came up dead" argument is often rather hard to swallow. I think any fish that comes up dead should be secured without the use of a gaff. If there is a fresh mark anywhere on the fish, it should be assumed that it was very much alive when taken.

It's a shame that recreation anglers have to take such care of fish stocks simply because commercials have been allowed to push most species to the brink of extinction. Needless to say, an ethical fisherman, not only releases his catch, but takes a very close interest in commercial activities too.

[Nick_Fuegi]

Realised my comments may be offensive to those that killed billfish in the past. Thought I should qualify. No offence to anyone that used to kill billfish. I appreciate that fish used to be more plentiful, people were far less plentiful, everyone was killing billfish and it was not only acceptable, but expected by many clients. Fine.

However, congrats to all those that have moved with the times, realised this is no longer necessary/ acceptable and have changed their ways for the good of the fish and the sport.

Those that continue to kill billfish will doubtless be offended and that's a shame. It's only through ongoing pressure by anglers voting with their feet and avoiding fisheries and operators who kill billfish that this practice will be stamped out. The sooner it is, the sooner there'll be more granders out there to breed - and to catch.

Great thread. Very positive. Important issue close to many hearts for many reasons. Raised another important question in my mind:

Does the IGFA's reliance on weight for world record claims drive/perpetuate the killing of large billfish?

(No I have not forgotten the importance of the IGFA in the history of fishing.) Just because something is an institution does not mean it can't be improved.

I think the reliance on weighing fish for record claims *must* cause more bllfish to be killed. How can this be got around? Looks to me like we need a new and quick way of measuring a billfish. Modern digital cameras could be the answer, they record the focal distance and focal length. From that you can work out the angular field of view. From that you know the size of anything in an uncropped frame. Ideally you need to know the angle of the camera to the subject too. so if this was standardised by taking all shots from perpendicular to a certain point on the subject, we could forget about it. Either that or it could be worked out by sticking a standard piece of paper onto the subject with a load of parallel lines on it.

If you could (for example) work out the size of a marlin from the size of its eye/gill slit/whatever, then a quick photo on a digital camera that records "Exif" data into the image from perpendicular to the subject should allow an accurate estimate without a tape measure in sight. Is anyone working on something like this? Now all operators or their clients have a digital camera, it would be easy.