1st. Annual Costa Rica Blue Water Hunting Open

[virgili]

Hi Kill em all, thank,s for your interesting feedback and your wishes!

SHIPS FROM TAIWAN

I stayed in CR one week ago and I was told there that the government has been fostering strong economic relationships with China (wich probably means that Taiwan will loose soon some leverage there...).Not sure that this economic outlook will calm concerns about overfishing off the Central America Pacific coast.
I took these pics on the same day:
-at about 10 miles a local fishing boat using about 5 miles long "longlines" equiped with about 1000 hooks+squids...
-at about 40 miles an industrial fishing ship (from Taiwan) using a huge net...
The difference is amazing but are the goals in fishing different?

[virgili]

The 20 competitor official list:
Sheri Daye / florida
Tommy Botha / South africa
Roberto Reyes / puerto rico
Eric Walker / virgin islands
Daryl Balfour / south africa
Alejandro Franco / mexico
Zac Zuccharo / south africa
Daryl Wong / hawaii
Greg Magrinat / florida
Brian Jessurum / connecticut
Nigel Beresford / great britain
Jean Jacques Rousseau/ quebec
Cameron Condie / south africa
George Sean / texas
Bertrand Tiap Chong / quebec
Tim kohl / California
Scot leavitt / Connecticut
Chris blansfield / Rhode Island
Mike damms / Florida
Rob wills / Australia
There's going to be a tough and friendly fight for the 1st place..
A great challenge ahead!

Pura Vida!

[kill em all]

The smaller boat with the longline gear is definately the more sustainable type of fishing except for the fact that those boats are harvesting billfish when they could release alot of them. Those sailfish and marlin generate way more money to the CR economy alive then dead. Sport fishing for billfish is one of the biggest industries in CR where as a sailfish or marlin harvested only gets $50-$100 per fish. Those longline boats could maintain a productive and healthy fishery if they stop harvesting billfish. However, what they take from the system does not compare to that asian boat with the net (purse seine). When I was living in CR and running a charter fishing boat it would be common to see ships with similar gear as the one in your photo except for the fact that they were 2-3 times larger and had least one helicopter on board. Those boats are raping the ocean of tuna. Specifcally migratory yellowfin tuna that tend to stay under the pods of spinner dolphins. Once one of their choppers spot the dolphins the boat is right behind circling the school with a purse seine net taking them all. No fishery can be treated like that and be expected to last.

[bombard666]

I just read here that the purse saners got pushed to a minimum of 35miles off shore and i have personally seen the Guarda Costa out there inforcing it! Its about time, and this year the tuna have already come back to the reefs in bigger numbers and size. At least here around Guiones!

[ROBERTO REYES]

Originally Posted by kill em all

When I was living in CR and running a charter fishing boat it would be common to see ships with similar gear as the one in your photo except for the fact that they were 2-3 times larger and had least one helicopter on board. Those boats are raping the ocean of tuna. Specifcally migratory yellowfin tuna that tend to stay under the pods of spinner dolphins. Once one of their choppers spot the dolphins the boat is right behind circling the school with a purse seine net taking them all. No fishery can be treated like that and be expected to last.

I can see in the pic of the second boat , the helicopter, seen them also in Mexico, taking so many tuna, its incredible there are still some in the ocean.
And of course, they will kill anything on the nets, including bill fish.
The smaller boats puts out miles and miles of hooks in the water, with floats,
what we do, is so ecological and responsible compared to any other kind of fishing,
its a petty we dont have the right exposure.

[Wilddiver]

Sad news for the competition is that Tommy Botha has been forced to withdraw due to the serious illness of his wife, Lindy. Lindy is back home after a series of major surgeries, but Tommy rightfully does not want to leave her at this time. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Tommy and Lindy.

[kill shot]

Daryl,

Please give Tommy and Lindy my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Eric

[virgili]

Sad news for the competition is that Tommy Botha has been forced to withdraw due to the serious illness of his wife, Lindy. Lindy is back home after a series of major surgeries, but Tommy rightfully does not want to leave her at this time. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Tommy and Lindy.

I will call again Tommy to day from CR.
Last week he seemed to me be pretty worried about his wife .
Wish her the best and shortest convalescence.
Tommy is very welcome to the 2nd edition, we need his gentelman presence there!


Despite a recent earthquake in San Jose 2 days ago, there are not any serious dammage there and the roads are intact.
Here in Samara we get sunny weather, sea calm++, bluewater... Pura Vida!

[Wilddiver]

Agreed Philippe, Tommy - to all of us who have had the pleasure of diving or spending time in his company - is one of the true gentlemen of spearfishing. He's been called the Tiger Woods or Gary Player of spearfishing...and perhaps if our sport was a whole lot bigger those guys might be known as the Tommy Botha's of golf!

See you all in Samara on the 14th!

[kill shot]

See you all there tomorrow!!

[Quetzal]

Originally Posted by kill shot

See you all there tomorrow!!

Good luck, To you and Roberto and all participants. I wish I could have been there, not so much to compete but to enjoy the good times. I would have, but I make my living in taxes and this is "The Season" for me. If its earlier next year I would like to be there.

[Wilddiver]

Been in CR now since Wednesday. Dirty water and not many, not any, blue water fish about so far. Hopefully the situation will improve... Will keep you posted.

Tuna technique here very basic and hit or miss. Tommy and Milkes...you need to get here and teach these guys the Cape Town technique!

[virgili]

Pics taken yesterday
D balfour in blue water
B. Tiap Chong caught a nice rooster inshore
An humperback performing acrobatic inshore

[ROBERTO REYES]

Cant wait to get there, sunday at 2pm in san jose, way
too long to wait.

[downandout]

Best of luck to all of you this week, please be safe and shoot big fish, can't wait to see the pictures and hear the stories!

Best of luck and be safe.
Jon