Bay Of Islands Swordfish Club Tightens Tournament Rules To Promote Sustainable Fishing Practices

The country’s oldest sports fishing club is calling for sustainable recreational fishing practices to be implemented through the strong promotion of tag and release rules for bill fish during game fishing tournaments.

Russell based Bay of Islands Swordfish Club is one of 55 sports fishing clubs around the country, and is leading the charge to ensure all clubs make tag and release and, measure and release, the preferred option in tournament rules.

Club president Jeff Douglas says “Bay of Islands Swordfish Club is leading by example. With already the best tag and release statistics for clubs on the Northland coastline we are now also setting new levels for release of non-game fish species through measure and release. “

In all Bay of Islands Swordfish Club tournaments more points are gained by tagging and releasing game fish over the killing of them, and for tournaments that target non-gamefish species such as snapper and yellowtail kingfish they have a points system that encourages measure and release.

A further part of the club’s sustainability policy is the required use of non-offset circle hooks in all baits dead or alive during tournaments. Live baiting and pitching dead baits is common practice in game fishing and numerous scientific studies have shown a much greater survival rate of fish if caught using non-offset circle hooks over common j hooks.

Bay of Islands Swordfish Club tagged and released more marlin than any other club in NZ in 2022 plus they had the highest tag and release percentage, with 75% of all marlin recorded being tagged.

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