Column by Dave Lear
DEMOCRAT WRITER
A thrashing billfish showers spray as the mate leaders it behind the transom. Just before the angler and tag man block the view, the captain on the flying bridge shouts instructions while other members of the team celebrate in the cockpit below. Did the swivel touch the tip top? Is the fish a blue marlin worth 300 points or a white good for 100? Is this a qualifying catch? You, the observer, make the call.
High-stakes billfish tournaments historically have relied on physical proof - dead fish at the weigh scales - to determine the eventual winner. But in this enlightened age when many events now release all billfish, set high minimum weight requirements or offer attractive incentives in release divisions, the need for offshore-catch verification remains strong. In ideal circumstances the honor system would suffice, but what happens when several thousand dollars of prize money is on the line? For those who fish for money, not sport, the temptation to cheat is great.
To maintain legitimacy tournament organizers have adopted several ways to verify releases, including polygraph tests and photographic evidence. The most reliable method, however, is having independent, qualified observers aboard each boat. I've observed at the U.S.V.I. Atlantic Blue Marlin Open (the Boy Scout tournament) in St. Thomas, the La Guaira International Billfish Shootout in Venezuela and the World Billfish Series Grand Championship in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. At each event I had to rely on personal experience to make challenging calls like the one described earlier.
Now, thanks to the International Game Fish Association's Certified Observer Program, volunteer wannabes can receive specific observer training and earn plum assignments judging some of the most prestigious billfishing tournaments in the world.
"This is something that's been needed for a long time, and it enhances IGFA's conservation involvement tremendously," said Lynda Wilson, who heads up the program for the IGFA. "The program originated with Bill Gooch and the Virginia Beach Red, White and Blue Tournament, but since we adopted it we've added some modifications. It's an evolving process. We've already translated the manual into Spanish and our next project is a video on the saltwater angling rules. Eventually, we hope to take the certification online."
The COP training entails an all-day class with topics on observer responsibilities, IGFA regulations, boat etiquette and protocol, safety and species identification. A 70-question test is administered at the end of the day. Applications are screened beforehand, and if accepted must pay $125 for the class and training manual. The cost includes a species identification video and a one-year IGFA membership. Several classes have been conducted, with others on tap as needed. At this point the training is strictly for billfish tournaments, and IGFA has supplied observers for numerous domestic and international events. Tournaments are assessed a charge of $25 per boat per fishing day to help maintain the program.
"This is a great program and I think billfishing is getting to the point where most big-money tournaments will use it," said Mike Kemp, a Miramar resident and recent COP graduate. "Observing is fun and it's also beneficial to me as an angler. The knowledge a person gains as an observer is overwhelming. You get to see firsthand how some of the best crews in the world do things, and to me that's a real incentive."
Jimmy Loveland, the director for the Atlantic Blue Marlin Open, is also excited about the COP benefits. His tournament celebrates its 33rd anniversary next summer, and no billfish have been boated in the last 18 years (only three fish have been killed since inception; the minimum weight is 400 pounds). The action is fast and furious, however, with the fight time per released fish averaging a frenzied 12 minutes.
"If you really want a credible release program, you've got to have qualified observers because fishermen don't trust each other," Loveland explains, "and a warm body doesn't cut it. Tournaments have to make the commitment and anglers have to understand that there are costs involved in having professional observers. IGFA's Certified Observer Program is going to be good for the entire industry. It means we're stepping out of the dark ages."
To learn more about upcoming COP classes or to receive an application, contact Wilson at (800) 442-4665 or visit http://www.igfa.org.
