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THE BIG BLUES

FISHING ADVENTURES IN SE ASIA

At The Big Blues we strictly release all the billfishes caught as well as the sharks.

The Big Blues strongly encourages in fact the practice of "Catch and Release" of Marlin, Sailfish and Sharks.

Plus, following the latest researches on the use of circle hooks we have decided to follow up this conservation trend adding the use of circle hooks and its operating procedures, which should insure a far healthier condition of our released fish.

In this view we work together with The Billfish Foundation (TBF) the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to conserving and enhancing bill fish population around the world.

As an Official TBF Tagging Partner we "tag and release" billfishes in the Andaman Sea region hoping to provide valuable information for creating solutions that are not only good for bill fishes but for anglers too.

Moreover as a general rule we encourage a fair catch & release practice for all the species and in particular for all the GT, Dogtooth Tuna and Grouper through an appropriate holding and managing of the fish and helping him to swim back once released.

In this view we strongly suggest then among our guests whenever is possible the use of barbless hooks and of the most appropriate line class in order not to stress the fish.

On top of that in Kuala Rompin there is a catch limit of 3 Sailfish releases per angler per day based on 4 anglers on board using live bait. Hence since we have a max of 4 anglers on board, you potentially have a cap of 12 Sailfishes' releases per day if you charter the entire trip.

Overall sport fishing in this part of SE Asia has still tremendous potential, yet serious environmental problems threaten the area. Trawling and long-line fishing have put heavy pressure on fish stocks and marine habitat in fact, particularly in the area around Phuket and the Burma Banks. For the latter the biggest threat is blast fishing with dynamite and you are likely to hear bombs go off at least once during a live aboard trip anywhere in the area. However despite the environmental threats, the fishing in the Burma Banks is still excellent and we'll try to do always our part practicing "catch & release" whenever possible.

Usefull press:

Big-Fish Stocks Fall 90 Percent Since 1950, Study Says
National Geographic News, May 15, 2003