giant fish caught

By killing it, he will have made himself a very unpopular man in bill fish circles. What a pity it wasn't tagged and released! A magnificent fish wasted.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm Sushi.

He said he was planning to catch a Great White Shark, I thought they were a protected species.

Idiot.........

Ray Roberts said:

Mmmmmmmmmmmm Sushi.

He said he was planning to catch a Great White Shark, I thought they were a protected species.

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I believe they are in most places around the world and South Africa is one of those places. Mind you, I am sure that there are people fishing for them and tagging and releasing. Killing them is illegal, but it would be difficult to convict someone for hooking and playing one. As long as the fish is released the law has not been broken. I have fished for and caught tiger sharks to an estimated 1200lbs and I know that fish like that are a lot fitter than the angler at the end of a fight, so they swim away reasonably happily at the end of it.

Such a shame such a magnificent fish was killed, but at least he is/was not going to waste it.
Bit different then to the wholesale slaughter of sharks just for the fins.

It's a real shame the fish died, but any commercial boat would've had no hesitation in killing it. Likewise an angler fishing for the pot to feed his family. It's just the way of the world - until that is, they're protected by legislation.

Terry D said:

It's a real shame the fish died, but any commercial boat would've had no hesitation in killing it. Likewise an angler fishing for the pot to feed his family. It's just the way of the world - until that is, they're protected by legislation.

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While I can see where you are coming from, when it comes to bill fish, it does not have to be the way of the world any more than it would need to be in the case of carp for example. I doubt if anyone would be very forgiving if a pub owning carp angler held up several dead carp for photo's and then said that he was going to feed them to his customers. It could be said that killing carp could be more justifiable because big carp can easily replaced from other waters. That marlin however was a valuable member of the breeding stock of that species and it is lost for ever - and for what? After a three hour fight, a fish that isn't great eating will have been useless for the table and an angler fishing for the pot to feed his family would not even contemplate fishing for 1,000lb fish. There are much smaller fish that are top quality eating and which would serve the purpose to a much greater extent than the capture and death of a species of fish that is under threat from commercial fishermen who have no thought for the future survival of the species. I guess that the tragedy is that legislation seems to be necessary if fish or animals are to be protected from extinction, but sadly, by the time that such legislation is brought into effect, it is often a bit too late.

I don't understand why the skipper sanctioned the killing of this fish. I once fished off a boat in the Canaries where they routinely kill the catch, I was not aware of the policy and when I complained the skipper informed me quite forcibly that that was classed as the deckies bonus.
I don't bother going out on those boats any more.

I've also seen Tope landed in Mediterranean ports and only the fins taken, these are the same fish I fish for in Cardigan bay every summer. I'm sure they're more valuable as a sport fish than they are for a one off payment for the dorsal fin.

I was not aware that the meat spoils after a long fight, is that because of the lactic acid build up?