BlueWater Boats & Sportsfishing – April 01, 2018

20 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine

NEWSLINES

DOUNOW?

• Current estimates put the oceans’
  total load of plastics at 150 million
  tonnes.


• By 2025, scientists predict there
  will be 250 million tonnes of
  plastic in the oceans, and the
  ratio of plastic to fish will be one
  to three.


• By 2050, scientists predict there
  will be more plastic in the oceans
  than fish.


• Plastic can be detected in the
  bodies of more than 50% of the
  world’s sea turtles.


• Scientists estimate that 90% of all
  seabirds have ingested plastic at
  some time in their lives.


• Recent research shows that
  consuming plastics can increase
  fish mortality by causing
  behavioural and physical
  abnormalities, such as slowed
  reaction time and reduced size.


• Plastics break up over time,
  becoming smaller fragments,
  but never fully break down and
  disappear – so micro-plastics
  will continue to accumulate.

For more information, visit:

www3.weforum.org/docs/

WEF_The_New_Plastics_

Economy.pdf

Past recipients of the Keech Heavy

Tackle Award include Capt Peter B Wright,

Richard Obach, Neil Patrick and Alfred

Glassell. Past recipients of the Herder

Light Tackle Award include Eryn and Guy

Jacobsen, Raleigh Werking, Gary Carter

and Enrico Capozzi.

GIL KEECH

HEAVY TACKLE AWARD

This award was presented to Mark Davis,

who has achieved more Billfish Royal

Slams than anyone in the history of

the IGFA. Mark has also caught all of

IGFA Angling

Achievement Awards

During the IGFA’s 34th annual International Auction & Banquet, held in

Florida on January 27, the angling achievements of two prominent fishermen

were recognised with the prestigious Gil Keech Heavy Tackle and Bob Herder

Light Tackle awards.

the world’s billfish species an incredible

eleven times over.

Over the past four decades, Mark has

pursued the world’s premier big game

species in some of the most iconic

destinations, including Australia’s Great

Barrier Reef for black marlin, New Zealand

for swordfish, Nova Scotia for giant bluefin

tuna, and Madeira and Kona for big blue

marlin. In addition, Mark has also released

grander blue marlin and bluefin tuna

estimated at more than 450kg, and has

landed swordfish over 270kg.

Ten years ago, Mark purchased Sea

Genie II, a beautiful 12m Rybovich based

at Kona, Hawaii. Under the guidance

and expertise of renowned captain Gene

Vanderhoek – the only captain to ever

record four grander Pacific blue marlin –

Davis has transformed the Sea Genie II

operation into the top tag and release blue

marlin and spearfish boat in the Pacific.

BOB HERDER

LIGHT TACKLE AWARD

This award was presented to Tom Pfleger,

who for 30 years has been successfully

pursuing both freshwater and saltwater

gamefish on light-tackle and fly gear.

Along the way, Tom has set an impressive

19 world records on species such as Pacific

bluefin tuna, white seabass, albacore,

lake trout, Pacific cubera snapper and

California yellowtail.

Three decades on, Pfleger continues

his pursuit of big game on light tackle,

with his most recent record coming last

August in the form of a 59kg Pacific

bluefin tuna on 6kg tackle. Some of his

other noteworthy record catches include a

78.24kg Pacific bluefin tuna on 10kg line,

and a 10kg albacore on 4kg fly tippet.

Bob Herder Light Tackle Award

recipient Tom Pfleger.