Recently there have been a number of enquiries regarding the ban on Red Steenbras. The ban has not yet been promlagated but it seems it will be shortly.

An interesting article on a recent catch with a 22 year old tag:

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Congratulation to the victorious EP/PEDSAC Team of Kevin Clark, Neal Murison & Brett Potgieter who won the Gold Medal at the East London Bottomfish Interprovincials.

Results:

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Until fairly recently all marlin caught were killed. In the last few years catch and release or tag and release has become the norm and very few recreationally caught marlin are boated. Hopefully the vast majority of these survive to grow and be caught again as trophy fish (if they are not caught by long liners in the interim).

The ORI Tagging Project has provided surprisingly little information despite a large number marlin and other billfish having been tagged over the past 27 years using conventional billfish tags (see table below):
 
Species                                                No. tagged          No. recaptured
Black marlin                                            526                            1
Blue marlin                                              187                            0
Striped marlin                                         281                            1
Sailfish                                                      3278                        28

As can be seen from the ORI report above, the recapture rate of  normally tagged marlin is negligible although our anglers have tagged a considerable number.

Almost the only way to track the movement of marlin is with the very expensive PSAT (Pop up Satellite Archival Tags) which automatically release from the tagged marlin after 120 days, rise to the surface and relay the accumulated data to the  the Argos satellite system. This is then interpreted and sent to the scientist concerned to be used as scientific material and is also sent to the people involved in the tagging.

 Tags record information about depth, temperature and light levels – which can be used to study their migrations and behaviors over the course of several months after they’ve been tagged. These data, in turn, will help scientists to identify key habitat areas where large numbers of fish spend significant portions of time – as well as the migratory corridors they use when they travel from place to place. Data from the PATs will be processed and disseminated via Stanford University in California and the lab of Professor of Marine Sciences Dr. Barbara Block.

SADSAA has the opportunity to become a part of the pop up tagging programme run jointly by IGFA and Stanford University in the guise of the Great Marlin Race. This will greatly reduce the cost of the programme as there are no ancillary costs such as Argos costs (average $1,000 a tag,) and costs to the various other personnel involved in processing the data on top of the $4000 cost of each tag we have been quoted.

By becoming part of the IGFA Great Marlin Race programme only the direct cost of the tags  ( $4000 ) is involved and South Africa becomes part of the international marlin research scene.

The programme was unanimously endorsed by the SADSAA Council at their recent meeting in Pretoria and a number of individuals who intend to participate in the Columbia SADSAA Marlin Classic have already expressed interest in the purchase of a tag.

SADSAA therefore invites your company to become involved in the programme. Please contact the President of SADSAA for further details of the sponsorship and branding details (mjvermaak@worldonline.co.za).

Below is a presentation produced by IGFA.  SADSAA however, intends to use the opportunity as a scientific research effort without organising participation in the race. A major sponsor, if he so wishes, could establish a race  on similar terms in South Africa in collaboration with IGFA and SADSAA.

Marlin are some of the most magnificent fish in the ocean and the race is on to learn more about them – before it’s too late.

The International Game Fish Association has partnered with scientists from Stanford University to create the IGFA Great Marlin Race – a conservation research program which combines the excitement of tournament angling with cutting-edge marine biologging science.  Working in close collaboration with anglers, boat captains and crews fishing at billfish tournaments around the world, the IGFA Great Marlin Race program is planning to deploy 50 electronic satellite tags on a variety of billfish species in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans over the course of a year.

"The first IGFA Great Marlin Race has begun at the 58th International Billfish Tournament," IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser explains, "and kicks off a year-long initiative to tag billfish around the world during tournaments. This is an exciting time for fishery scientists and conservationists - and sportsmen, too."
At the end of the IBT on September 9th, seven of the 10 sponsored tags had been deployed by tournament anglers. Although inclement weather called the IBT to a close a few days early, arrangements were made for anglers to continue the fish to finish deploying sponsored tags as soon as possible.
Coming soon: updates with the location of each satellite deployment!
 
How It Works Anglers in the IGFA Great Marlin Race – teams which have packed sponsored pop-up archival satellite tags (PSATs) alongside their tackle during a participating tournament– will be competing not only to win the tournament, but also to place their tag in the marlin that will swim the furthest once it is released. They will have to wait 120 days to find out if their marlin will win for the tournament event, and 12 months to learn whether their marlin will be the distance winner of all the marlins tagged during the year.

The PSATs record information about depth, temperature and light levels which can be used to study their migrations and behaviors over the course of several months after they’ve been tagged.  These data, in turn, will help scientists to identify key habitat areas where large numbers of fish spend significant portions of time – as well as the migratory corridors they use when they travel from place to place.

Curious about satellite tags and the IGFA Great Marlin Race? Check out our gallery for more!

SADSAA looks forward to entertaining IGFA President Rob Kramer and Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser at the forthcoming COLUMBIA SADSAA Marlin Classic to be fished out of Richards Bay in February 2012. They  have  indicated that they will attend the competition and will advise on the proper tagging technique and any other topic concerning deep sea angling. Rob Kramer was instrumental in setting up the inaugural meeting with SADSAA President Marius Vermaak , who has spearheaded the SADSAA Initiative, at the IGFA headquarters recently after a marlin tournament In Hawaii.

This partnership, the interest shown by JGFA and the attendance of the IGFA representatives will really put SADSAA firmly in the global deep sea angling arena.
 

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South Africa Deep Sea Angling International Offshore Tuna Series Hosted by Western Province Deep Sea Angling Association and by the South African Marlin and Tuna Club at False Bay Yacht Club Simons Town - South Africa - 14 to 21 April 2012.

Full details on www.sadsaa-ots.co.za

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Hi All

A successful junior development course was held at my house between the 12th and 14th Dec. Six juniors between the ages of 9 and 13 attended the course. The course went off very well, We managed to take the juniors out to sea on Wed. the 14th and what a great day we had with fish coming out plentiful. All the juniors managed to catch at least two fish each. Attached are fotos of our juniors, one with their catch. The course ended up costing each junior R315-00.

The six junior attending were Kyle Benn, Joshua Franchet, Teagan Barry, Ross Lucas, Chad Schenk and Seth Florus.

A big thanks must go to the parents for allowing their children to participate in this course as well as Marcello Florus who put his boat forward to assist, Russel Grotjohn who helped with the launch and retrieval, Murray De Lacy and Dave Barry for photographs, Anton de Roubaix for donating fuel, Annie Parkin of St John ambulance services for first aid training  and Dave Oostingh of BDSAA for certificates.

Enjoy the festive season and have a blessed 2012.

 
Tight Lines
John Luef
BDSAA Development

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