Total Carnage in Ecuador

[Ryan_Lewin]

It has been brought to my attention and others that there is a serious situation in Ecuador. Capt. Allan Starr has reports massive kills of billfish in Manta, Ecuador. He has reported seeing more than 1000 dead billfish – marlin, sailfish, and swordfish piled up on the beach. This should be a call to action to all of us, we work very hard promoting catch and release fishing for these impressive species only to be slaughtered later. I have been in contact with Capt. Starr and he’s promised to send some photos of this, btw when he brought out his camera at the scene he “was not politely told to leave”. Stay Tuned, as soon as I am able to get the photos I’ll have them up on the website and Charlie Levine will have something in the next issue of Marlin Magazine.

Sincerely,
Ryan Lewin
Online Editor
World Publications, Fish Group
www.marlinmag.com www.sportfishingmag.com www.flyfishinsalt.com

[Luis_Gomez]

We completely agree with your point of view here in ECUADOR. This carnage has to be stopped. That is why the most important issue is to convince the American buyers in Miami to stop buying all these animals. That way the artesanal fishermen of places like Manta as you say, will be forced to try another activity rather than killing Marlins.

Why is it that California managed to stop buying these Marlins and Florida did not? We don’t know.

All our BLUE MARLIN LODGE fishing and other anglers like my father and Pepe Anton, Norman Pichardo, Paco Sola, Jose Gonzalez-Rubio and Fernando Mata is done by Release and all of us try to make people aware of the Release Method but our biggest opposition is the American Market that craves these products. In the American supermarkets you can see it fresh or vacuum-packed. Perhaps those are some pictures worth taking too.

Please help us. If the market demand stops, the killing might stop as well.
Best regards

Luis Gomez Jr.
BLUE MARLIN LODGE
http://www.bluemarlinmanta.com

[George]

Ryan,
This is nothing new. It's been going on for more than 40 years. When I first visited Salinas in the 60's, every boated sail and marlin was killed and bled out. The going price at the dock was ten cents a pound.

If you trully want to stop the carnage, find a way of employing the small boat locals, who are doing the bulk of this killing.

Sedano's, a small time grocery chain in Miami, was advertising Blue Marlin last week labeled (from in Ecuador) at $3.99/lb.

Dry up the buyers, and you've won the battle.