Peru Billfishing

[Warren_Brantley]

I am aware of a fishery for marlin over "El Banco de Mancora" offshore of Punta Sal, Peru. Has anyone used this fishery in the past 2-3 years? How productive is it for black marlin? Any information on the charters and billfishing in the area would be appreciated. Regards, WGB

[Warren_Brantley]

Results of the study.

I wanted to see what the catch results (and cost per days fished) were for black marlin around Cabo Blanco, along with Pacific sails and other species. A boat can be chartered for $400-$500 US a day. The whole trip from the US to Lima to Tumbes to offshore of Punta Sal was very affordable. They have someone to help you at every stop. They make it very easy to come to their area and the prices are great. All inclusive packages, affordable suites with AC, all meals, in country transfer airline tickets, etc. were all covered. Easy folks to work with.

Unfortunately, they have decimated their billfish and other species. They also have a thriving cetacean fishery where they net harvest, butcher and package porpoise and small whales. To the degree that porpoise are now scarce in the area. This appears to be for the Japanese and Chinese commercial markets almost exclusively. (The wholesale price on prime porpoise cuts is $5 a pound, where at the actual fish market it retails US $50 a pound. In some non-oriental markets it is sold as "German steak".) It is noted that these products are sold in the new Walmart stores that have just opened in China. And that three Walmart executives are on the Board of Directors of the largest Cetacean harvesting fleet in the world (see Green Peace website; they give names.)

However I was not fishing for whales and porpoise so that's a moot point. And I do shop at Walmart here. (By the way Walmart in Kona has great marlin lures at very affordable prices.) I'll look to see what whale is selling for next time I drop in my local store......

A contact with a captain in California who has fished there extensively, light line for dorado mainly, since the mid-1980s noted only one sailfish seen caught since that time period. This person hooked up on one black marlin. A review of the limited available catch reports show a few dozen striped marlin and one or two black marlin harvested a year; at most, and mainly by net or longline boats. The two charter boats I found catch the very infrequent billfish by accident it seems. Offshore commercial boats appear unregulated. The local charter boats for Punta Sal are counted on one hand. They do not have reels above 50 wides. Persons who have fished them say the captains take you for a "boat ride" and if you get a billfish it is pure luck. They do not work the offshore mounts, tides, or look for temp differentials while trolling. They advise taking your own tackle (and from what I received in e-mails to take your own billfish along also.)

This is an absolutely great place to affordably go traveling and to see incredible sights. If you want a black marlin and a Pacific sail, like I do, it's unfortunately not the place.
I have not evaluated the fresh water fishery but it does exist and there also is some good dove hunting.

I've file it away as a "land trip" for the future. Panama is looking to be the place to go for the two species sought. Tight lines. Viva Venezuela. I'll be there soon. Regards, WGB