Revillagigedos Islands in 2006?

[Jureal]

Randy Toussant stated that the Royal Star will be fishing two trips in 2006 and two trips in 2007 at the Revillagigedos Islands. The trip will be with scientists aboard and will be a tag and release trip only.

[rdrrm8e]

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

It is with tremendous excitement that we formally announce the beginning of a new era in Long Range fishing and the realization of one of our most sought after goals.

In 2001, we began working closely with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission on a program to voluntarily tag yellowfin during select ten day fall voyages. The purpose of this tagging project was to deploy conventional and electronic (archival) tags in the interest of learning more about yellowfin tuna movements and habits in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. The success of the tagging project was wholly dependent on our angler's willingness to volunteer their catch for the benefit of science and research. In the beginning there was some doubt among scientists at the commission as to whether southern California sport anglers were ready to greet this new concept with enthusiasm. After repeated assurances from the Royal Star crew a trip was scheduled and we eagerly awaited results. Following our first day at sea, I am pleased to say that all of our predictions were verified and participation among anglers was even better than expected. The successes of the project following that first voyage have been remarkable with tag returns averaging better than thirty percent and more and more anglers expressing interest in joining the effort to learn more about the resource we have been enjoying for so long.

With the success of our previous voyages in mind we began to plan future tagging voyages confident that anglers would be interested in participating in genuine science by volunteering their sport caught fish for tagging studies. In 2003 we began to research the possibility of conducting tagging trips in the Revilla Gigedo island reserve as no better environment exists to deploy large numbers of tags in pelagic fish. In addition, specimens tagged in the reserve have the ability to disperse free from the likelihood of being captured quickly by competing fishing vessels. Working closely with the Tuna Commission, I am proud to announce that we have accomplished our primary goal, securing permits to conduct a series of tagging voyages in the Revilla Gigedo islands in 2006 and 2007.

Before I continue I want to be clear in stating that the objective of these voyages is indeed scientific. The goal is to continue the deployment of conventional and electronic tags in yellowfin tuna as well as begin a new study tagging wahoo in the EPO (Eastern Pacific Ocean). These voyages will host eighteen anglers in addition to scientists from the Tuna Commission and the Department of Fisheries in Mexico. The goal for the eighteen anglers is to catch, tag, and release as many yellowfin tuna and wahoo as possible, using circle hooks, during the course of the voyage. All sizes of tuna and wahoo will be targeted and acceptable for tagging. There will be no take of any kind while fishing within the Revilla Gigedo reserve. Every effort will be made to tag and release EVERY fish landed during the voyage. Otherwise all fishing will be conducted as normal on past Revilla Gigedo voyages. Anglers will have the opportunity to fish around the clock at the Revilla Gigedo islands dedicating all of their catch to the tagging effort.

Of course for those interested anglers there will be more information forthcoming but the basics of the voyages are listed above. I am tremendously enthusiastic about this opportunity to broadly demonstrate that we are a conscientious angling community intent upon promoting the understanding and preservation of our quarry through active participation. I expect there will be some demand for these unique voyages but I urge all experienced long range anglers to consider these voyages, in addition to being a chance to fish the famous Revilla Gigedo reserve, an opportunity to give back to the resource we have been enjoying for so many years.

The exact time, dates, cost, and specifics of the voyages have not been determined but I can say that the months of January through February are the time frame and the voyages will feature eight to ten days of tagging within the Revilla reserve. If this opportunity captures your interest, please call Tracy, Randy, or Tim in our office as we are already compiling a list of prospective anglers. We look forward to hearing from you and once again are very pleased to be at the forefront of our industry providing anglers opportunities that no others offer. It is with great pride we announce these exciting adventures and we will continue to provide information as our schedule progresses.

Tim Ekstrom
Captain/owner, M/V Royal Star



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© 2004 Royal Star Sportfishing

[TimC]

So the interesting question is, how many people will sign up to a "catch 'n release" only trip?

Would you go? Even if there's no photo ops with the catch of your life time?

[Calico]

I would go but i have never fished long range before. The minds eye is your eternal camera.

[Rockfish101]

I'm sure those trips will sell out full speed. Plenty of people out there itching just to get around the Islands. I think it is more about just getting the chance to pull on a fish. I never have had to come back with a load of fish(I wouldn't now what to do with it). If I could finally get my first fish over #200 to the boat and the fish swims away afterwards, good enough for me. I win and the fish wins too. From the fish catching point on the 16 day I did terrible but all the other points far outweighted that. The fact that US boats are allowed in any way to fish Mexican waters is already something to be appreciative of. Who knows in 3-5 years they may let some sort of retention fishery again, but I seriously doubt it.

[Jureal]

Rolf. I hear you. Having spoken with Randy at lenght on this very subject up at the wheelhouse, I know what his feelings are about the situation. We cannot give the mex. govt the impression that we are a threat to the fisheries and need to show restraint in the taking of fish. Already, the Revilla Gigedos are closed and Guadalupe Isle is officially a preserve. It may me just a matter of time before that place is also closed. And that is one of my favorite places to fish. Glad to see that the LR boats are adhering to the Mex. limits. I know that the RS is and the Shogun did the same last yr on our 5 dayer.

[TimC]

I don't need to bring home the fish, but I'd like to at least to have a photo op with my first 200 lbm defore release it. Too bad you can't do that with tuna.

[ZZZZZ]

Just take pics like this without the gaffs.





Just dont do this.


And its probably a good idea not to do this either.


and definitely none of this.

j/k. I really would like to visit the Islands. I do not eat fish and find it to be more of a pain in the ass proccessing it and distributing it anyways LOL. I have no problem letting them go in fact would be cool if it was re captured at a later time. I need to go with my 10' top shots.