Several weeks ago HR 5804 - the Billfish Conservation Act of 2010 - was introduced in Congress. In summary, it prohibits the trade of billfish in the United States.
Contact your Congressman if you support billfish conservation - this is huge progress toward protecting marlin, sailfish, spearfish.
More information on billfishreport.com.
Just click here - takes 30 seconds to fill out the form and email the letter to your local congressman.
http://capwiz.com/keepamericafishing/issues/alert/?alertid=15969791
Another great report!
Marsha
35 Contender
That’s right protect them by cutting off the lively hood of South American countries where hundreds of bill fish are needlessly slaughtered on a daily basis to feed the local fishing communities and create income for them and their families. We’ll send our armed forces to help get them back on their feet after a natural disaster so we can call ourselves “humanitarians” but let’s directly affect their lively hood by not buying their billfish in an effort to protect our sportfishing(largely catch and release)for billfish. I’ve got an idea…let’s not buy their billfish, directly impact their economy and then send them millions if not billions of our tax dollars to help rejuvinate their economy when it fails. Brilliant! But hey, they’re on the right track with trying to further control our right of choice. Kudos guys…tax dollars well spent! It’s comforting to know that since we can not make responsible decisions for ourselves the government is there to step in and not only tell us what is best for us but they are even willing to enforce it for us (which will be even easier after they make lead illeagal and take lead away from us…lead is found in bullets). And I’m not complaining without a suggested fix…if you choose to limit or restrict the killing of billfish. Instead of spending tax dollars by passing a law restricting us from doing something forceably…why not just take it upon yourself to choose to not eat billfish. If the demand falls…guess what…so will the need for supply. I emplore each of you to make responsible decisions for yourself and act on them and PLEASE stop asking/expecting the government to control things that we can do ourselves.
Everyone is destined for greatness…getting there is up to you.
I thought I was about to get to see another snapped bill…dam
Shevlin, thanks. Even better. Important stuff in my opinion.
I am all for killing them. Kill them all. They get in the way of my cuda fishing.
Most people aren’t eating the billfish. Billfish is a major component in feeding household pets such as catfood and dogfood. When you read “fish” on the lable it is usually some form of billfish.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
31’ Contender
Twin 250 HPDIs
Is swordfish on the list?
quote:
Originally posted by KempIs swordfish on the list?
Probably not. The general consensus seems to be that it’s OK to kill fish that taste good like swordfish, but killing far more plentiful fish like sailfish is wrong, and anyone who does so deserves to be flamed incessantly.
quote:Yeah, I can't catch enough cudas!
Originally posted by mummichogI am all for killing them. Kill them all. They get in the way of my cuda fishing.
Swordfish isn’t on the list. My opinion - should be, given the conflicting reports on the state of the population…but can certainly understand the opposing view.
quote:
Originally posted by ToucheMost people aren’t eating the billfish. Billfish is a major component in feeding household pets such as catfood and dogfood. When you read “fish” on the lable it is usually some form of billfish.
Absolute B_U_L_L_ S_H_I_T Bills taken on sport boats and Pangas are used mainly to feed the families and locals from the third world $^&* holes that we like to vacation at. If you were to venture off the beaten path in Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, you would be shocked at the living conditions that these people endure. Who are we to tell these folks not to eat these fish…the same ones that we drag in at the Big Rock for a $1,000,000 prize.
The main fish used in pet food is menhaden, sardine, mackerel, anchovy, and fish paste from the Alaskan Pollock fishery.
.
http://www.stellamarisseafood.com/
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
Swordfish are supposedly “successfully rebuilt,” and they are not on the list of band* fish in this bill.
The bill is pretty straightforward and simple.
I’m interested moreso in knowing why the sponsoring Congressman from Arizona cares about this issue so much?
Shall we take a look at his campaign donors to find out?
www.JoinRFA.org
Luke 8:22-25
Let’s look deeper than the billfish issue. When you ask the federal goverment to “ban” any import there is alot more at stake than just the “well being” of your billfish. Think about our relationship with those countries. Our government “bans” the sale of billfish from them and affects their well being. How are they going to feel towards anyone with a pale face that comes and visits one of their countries to sport fish or vacation? How long will they allow us to do that peacefully? Just because some nimrod puts together a petition under the umbrella of “conservation” and asks people to sign it doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. God gave us a brain and our parents/grand parents/mentors gave us moral fiber for a reason…TO USE THEM!
oh…and Shevlin…the new avatar is quality!
Everyone is destined for greatness…getting there is up to you.
Okay so if this bill passes does that mean I can still keep my billfish, just not sell or trade it ? Or does it mean that the possession and posssibly killing of these species is illegal? So if the latter is true if I hook a billfish and in the course of getting it near the boat it gets exhausted and dies I can now go to jail? Its getting to where it is too much of a pain in the butt to fish at all due to all the regs.
Just can’t sell them. Recreational guys will be fine. Tournaments are safe as well.
I have been on Indonesia several time and i here at the moment. My family cooked me fish the other night and after seeing such a big filet i was curious what it was. Next day i found out that it was Blue Marlin. I had never eatin marline before obviously b/c of rules in states. It was super good. I think killing billfish is terrible and i am totally against the kill calcutta in the billfish tournaments. As far as im aware the fish isn’t even eaten. Every time i eat fish in Indonesia (1,000’s of time) it has never been put o ice or in a refrigerator or freezer. America kinda of over does it with worry of getting sick from fish etc. If the fish in the big billfish tournaments like Georgetown and Big Rock or Megadock are still killing fish for years to come it should be mandatory that the fish is filleted and sent to the local homeless shelter at the very least. Dont’ know if many people on this site have travelled extensively to third world countries…but we americans are some spoiled wasteful bastards compared to the rest of the world and need to think about that more often