Fishing News

I am sure that it is the ultimate dream of any angler to fish in the Amazon. I nearly had the chance to go there just last week. Unfortunately, the government of Brazil, being warned by the WWF, imposed fishing restrictions in the basin.

By the way, do not have a hard heart over WWF. I just thought that, maybe it is time that we slow down and think of the present situation in some of our biggest fishing destinations. Undeniably, Amazon river has become a target. But, to think that Amazon is teeming with almost all kinds of fish, it surprised me to learn of the aquatic species management to be promulgated in Amazon.

Basically, WWF is trying to assess the relationship between fish caught in the basin and the fishers that catch fish in the basin. Unfortunately, the number of fishers exceeds the normal annual record. This poses a great threat not only to the maritime life but for the Brazilians as well. If the Amazon will run out of fish supply, then the depletion will affect everyone that depends on it for food and as source of family income. Let us admit that above anyone else, the Brazilians are supposed to be the ones to benefit from Amazon. Since the species are becoming endangered, WWF presented Brazil with the actions to be undertaken in order to solve the problem. These included water pollution management, patrolling for illegal fishers, and fish culture.

Terrible. I could have only described terrible the day Red passed away. I did not have the chance to meet the guy in person, but I swear, any angler would say that Red is an icon in the fishing world. Perhaps, nobody can match his popularity.

It was thirty-eight years ago when I first heard of his name. Bernard, also known as Red Fisher paved the way for fishing sport through media. It was not long after 1968 that I started watching his television programs. Although based in Canada, his featured stories talked about fishing bouts around the world. Ever since I watched his shows, which were aired every Saturday, I became interested in fishing. It was through him, and his incomparable knowledge about fishing, that I have succeeded in my chosen field. I do not deny that I used to think of fishing as a hobby for the lazy. I used to think just what is the good in holding a rod, while waiting for the fish to bite the bait.

Red made me change my mind. It was through him that I was convinced I can do well in fishing. He made the sport so easy to understand. The man is genius. His popularity even reached the continent of Asia. One time, when I have gone to Japan, a fellow angler inquired if I got my style from Red. I was surprised that though he speaks little English, he was eager to tell me that he owed Red of the knowledge he has now. It was this moment that made me admire Red more. A few years after that day, Red passed away. But, even if he is gone, I am sure anglers will not forget his memory. The icon, Bernard Herbert, will forever reign in the fishing realm.

Wanna know what country is considered the largest tuna market and producer in the world? Yes, it's Japan. Our Pacific neighbors are surely stocking up various tuna species from fresh, chilled and frozen. The Japanese loves sashimi, no wonder they're loving tuna so much. The tuna produce doesn't only come from Japanese local waters but also from neighboring countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan and as far as Mexico and Sri Lanka. Australia supplies big-eye, albacore, yellow-fin and southern blue-fin tuna. While Indonesia and Taiwan supply yellow-fin and big-eye, Mexico for blue-fin and Sri Lanka supplies big-eye and blue fin tuna.

The tuna supply of japan from last year totaled up to 326,041 metric tons. During this same period, Japan on the other hand imported about 290,755 metric tons of both frozen and fresh tuna for local consumption.

The Japanese tuna market continues to reach the upper limits. The increasing demand for high quality tuna meat prompts the country to import from other countries. But in the same trend, tuna exports are also an all-time high. Japanese processed tuna are very much in demand in the international market.

Last March 21, a man from Carlsbad named Mac Weakley caught the biggest bass in bass fishing history. The huge bass, about the size of a beachball, was caught from Dixon area, a prime spot for bass fishing. The catch was unofficially weighed in at 25.1 pounds - the biggest bass caught in history. Mac Weakley's bass wasn't officially weighed in, due to a technicality involving an unfortunate unintentional incident, by IGFA officials.

The rules and regulations of game sport fishing, by the Department of Fish and Game, states that for any fish, like bass, to be officially and legally caught, it must voluntarily take the lure in the catch's mouth. IGFA officials also told the public that this regulation could only be waived in the instance the angler unintentionally foul-hooks the fish. But, witnesses are telling the people at IGFA that what Weakley did was actually unintentional.

Weakley's catch was not deliberately foul-hooked from a spawning spot, hitting the bass just beneath dorsal fin. The unofficial weighing in of the caught fish was recorded on video by Weakley's fishing mates. The final moments of the video saw Marc Weakley release the bass to open waters, probably planning to dispute the claims of the IGFA, and thus clinch world record.

Pirates or illegal fishers, scour the oceans of South Africa, wearing masks or balaclavas to conceal their identities. They come with long liners or large vessels with hooks attached to a rope supported by floats with automatic line system that hooks the baited fish and removes it mechanically in a continuous system. This activity is considered a huge threat most especially to the impoverished citizens of Africa.

These modern-day pirates steal food from the hungry families and are making millions by their illegal activity. It is undeniable that more and more African communities are experiencing poverty and difficulties in searching for a decent job as source of income support for their families, which are, usually, composed of five members. Illegal fishing robs the African people of the opportunity to have their own way of managing their marine life because they are overthrown by the pirates who are continuously abusing the rich source of food for the many starving families.

Communities where these illegally caught fish may have no idea that the fish on their plates are being stolen. This is also a matter of awareness, for a franchise owner most importantly, to be careful when it comes to the legality of the supply of fish for their business. Truly, organizations, such as Greenpeace, are making a lot of effort in catching these pirates, but these hooligans are very hard to identify since they plan their fishing well and even disguise themselves.

Are you a fishing sport enthusiast who would love to pass on the habit to today's young population? Well, admittedly, not all of the instant-gratification and television-inhabited generation are keen on the idea of going outdoors and patiently waiting for the bounty of nature to arrive. There is, however, another way to approach these people in a manner that would benefit them and yourself at the same time.

I am talking about trade-in events. In Ontario, Canada, there is one fishing reel exchange event slated on the second week of March 2006, from the 11th to the 19th. This acts as a good opportunity to share the love for fishing and help the youth to discover an interest in the activity. Fishing fans just have to donate their old, but working reels and they would receive coupons that would get them discounts on their purchase of new reels. They can choose from the new reels that would be showcased in the event and they can get their desired rod for as much as $100 less. The donated rods would be left in the hands of youth organizations which aim to promote these kinds of sports for a better and more active lifestyle.

Fishing is one of the noble professions around, but it is also one of the most difficult because of the instability of the environment on which it depends. Although there are waters in the world that are abundant in marine life, there are times when the precious commodities of the sea are lost to constant hunting. This description can be said true in the case of the latest happening in Northern Ireland.

What happened in Ireland, you ask? Well, fishing boats have been banned in Irish Sea because of the impending cod recovery project implemented by the country's fishery department. For about ten to eleven weeks, fishermen and skippers have to look elsewhere for fish. In addition, these boats have been denied tie-up or monetary aid for the inconvenience the recovery plan has caused and for the voluntary cessation of the boats' operations. People would have to wait until about the end of April to resume their fishing activities in the waters of Ireland.

You see how fishing as a profession requires great sacrifice? Some even have to change their catch from fish to prawns and roam the Bristol/Smalls grounds in order to survive. This, of course, would entail different new gears and more crew, both of which are additional expenses on the part of the fishermen.