Captain Tred Barta - FISHING: Calcutta Kill Tournaments

[Captain Tred Barta]

Bart Miller's eyesight might be a little dimmer than it once was but he had you pegged... He said you look like Colin Powell...
He was right. The night you guys went to the movies then branched off into seperate theaters was a classic example of being individuals... You were both right...

I see your points and agree some with them. Then I don't agree with others... Perhaps we are both right...

If thats the case, ponder this. You indicate that it sends mixed signals to our kids to promote release one minute then kill the next. Well, what if you have a limit or even a single dead tuna in the box, then release the rest? Aren't we sending the same mixed signals?
I enjoy that at least you are bantering back and forth. Morals? We're fishermen... A notch above neanderthal! If we can't f*** it we want to kill it... We've come a long way in stopping 99% of the needless slaughter... Don't expect though or even ask that we cough up that last percent as it defies evolution. We spent ten million years evolving to the top of the food chain, I'm not gonna whiz on all that history and eat brocolli or let go that last remaining thread of the natural progression that is me.

Hey Bubba.

Great post, but you've got me confused with someone else. I love to hunt, I love to fish and I love to harvest. After a three hour fight on a big tuna, I absolutely love the clubbing. I love the butchering, I love the blood, and I love the eating.

This forum is supposed to be discussing the trends, the health and the philosophy of killing billfish for money in Calcutta betting tournaments where millions of dollars change hands in front of the public view and in front of our children.

These activities are done by the wealthiest people in the world. Supposedly the smartest people in the world as well as leaders of business and leaders of the fishing industry. These events are covered by every magazine. The events often sponsored by the magazine itself. And they are not carried our for comraidery. They are not carried out for the love of the sport. They are carried out for money, money, money. I call these activities the cancer of our sport before and two weeks later, I say the same thing.

What value does a dead 950lb breeder blue marlin have melting in the sun? Like Bart Miller, I go to the movie of my choice.

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

[Captain Tred Barta]

Sir. Mr. Barta.
I'm sorry I don't get it. You ,make your living hunting and fishing. YOU KILL stuff for money. You make tv shows.
How can you possiby come on here and talk about killin for money as a cancer? Are you going to stop ? Do you have enough money now and you can develop a consience ? Give me a break. Please, More on Your value "SYSTEM".
This is not a personnal attack but I do not know how else to possibly put you statements in perspective.
What,
Do as I say not as I do ?
If you think killing fish, deer,bear or whatever for a tv show is less of a "cancer" Please, explain it to me.

It's all good.

Did you look at my statics from the White Marlin Open in Oc md ?
300 boats, 900 trips off shore by some very experienced fisherman and 16 fish killed ?
Please, Define conservation to me.
Nope, sorry son, We can't fish no more, Might kill
something?
Nope, no more hunting, Might Kill something.
Is there some kind of catch and release for hunting ?
Will you stop hunting and filming for your tv shows ?
Explain this to me. I Just dont get IT.

Again, I appologize, This is not a personnal attack.
I JUST DONT GET IT.




[

Dear Joeksr,

I understand where you're going with this response, and it's an extremely legitamate message. Either I'm not communicating my message properly, or perhaps I'm more of a hypocrite than I'm willing to admit. However, I think some of your comments are incorrect. In my t.v. show, I do not kill stuff for money. Matter-of-fact, 70% of all my shows, I don't harvest anything at all. Either to my ineptitude or bad luck. If you watch my shows, it's not about killing; rather, it's about instilling moral values, about doing it "the hard way", trying your best, never giving up.

You say, "Do as I say, not as I do" I think that's a great statement as it relates to me, let me define it. The law says, and I believe I am correct, that as a recreational angler, you are allowed to kill one billfish a day and basically, one per boat. And of course, there are size limits etc. etc. I have no objection for anyone harvesting a billfish, bringing it back to the dock, eating it, not wasting it, or mounting it.

But for a bunch of guys to get together, and kill billfish for money, expecially in our world today is wrong. To me it's morally wrong. Personally I don't care if 5,000 boats participate in a Calcutta Billfish Tournament and kill only one fish. You still have a message being delivered that you are killing billfish, a point a pound for money. This, in my world, is not how the circle of life is conducted.

By the way, mark my words, in the very near future, there is not a legitamate company who will back this activity. Therefore, I believe this activity will eventually die.

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

[Captain Tred Barta]

Sorry, Tred not personal just trying to follow the theme of prostitution and cancer being used....

Tred you're making one HUGE error with your disertation on calcutta tournaments and inviting arguements that will pit sportfishermen and their opinions against each other.

Look if you actually want to improve our fisheries management instead of your ratings then you need to address the real problem all sport fishermen face, commercial overfishing world wide.

Billfish enthusiasts are "truly" the only ones who care about managing the species and we have got alot of ground to make up to compete with the commercial fishing industry world wide. They, the commercial industry, are better organized, funded, have better scientists and lobbyiest around the world. This is the REAL issue not arguing calcutta tourney's and the ethics surrounding them...Sportfishermen need to put aside they're differences and work together otherwise we'll have plenty of time to tell Blue Marlin stories because that is all we will have.

Hell our Kona Maui Jim series of tournaments are a blast to fish more than 90% of fish get released, we have fun and it brings in great tourist revenue for our economy.

I guess as a Tackle Store I would catagorize my self as a Marlin Pimp, so those without sin amoung us can cast the first stone!

Dear Tim,

Thanks for your post.

I would argue that this thread is not great for the ratings of my t.v. show. And I do agree with you that a much more important issue is commercial fishing, not Calcutta Kill Billfish Tournaments. We have plenty of time to discuss that in the future and I hope we will.

However, we still have the same old question everyone. And if you're fair at all, you can take me completely out of the equation. This is not just about my philosophy as it differs from yours.

I'll keep this brief, and by the way, I respect you Tim for writing this. The Kona, Maui Jim series of tournaments are enjoyed by many and most of the fish are released and it does bring great revenue, I'm sure, to Maui Jim, Melton, and Hawaii; there's nothing wrong with that. But why is it that there has to be money involved to make it sucessful in the form of betting on dead fish. Why is it that you have to have observers and lie detector tests? And why is it that Maui Jim does not do the same thing with %100 release, honor system tournament? Does money rule everything? And is it ok to kill animals for money?

I've said it before, I'll say it again, Wanna kill a blue marlin? It's legal, no problem. Wanna kill it for money, with an observer on board to make sure you're not lying? To me, that's not something I sanction. Do the end justify the means?

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

[Captain Tred Barta]

Tred:
Here's the info on the commercial sale of billfish from the home page of the IGFA:



You can go to www.igfa.org to download the full report or the executive summary as a PDF file.

Just wanted to save you a few minutes in case Rob Kramer (with a K) at the IGFA doesn't get right back to you...

Hey Swami,

Thanks for your post. Man do I plead ignorance here, and I'm a little bit embarassed. I consider myself well traveled. Where have I been? I don't see billfish excluding swordfish anywhere for sale and I definitely don't see it on the menu's.

Look at the quote from the IGFA: "the United States has the dubious distinction of being the world's largest importer of billfish (swordfish not included)."

Absolutely amazing. I believe we may have found our next thread.

I will be calling Rob Kramer, president of the IGFA, in the morning.

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

[Captain Tred Barta]

Thanks everyone for participating, sharing your feelings about Calcutta Kill Tournaments. I have read every post carefully and I would like to make the following conclusions.

I don't know how long this thread should go on. At this point, we're getting a touch off-topic. But aside from that, I think every angle or point of view has been expressed.

Let me summarize.

1. It is obvious that 95% of people feel that my point of view is not justified. And that a solid 90% feel my views are hypocritical, considering I used to be called, "The Butcher of Shinnecock" in the Big Eye days. It is food for thought and maybe my position is undefendable.

2. Calcutta Kill Tournaments are legal. And most people feel that if it is legal, it is ok. I do not believe that if something is legal, it's morally justified. But my opposing arguments are sound, and well written.

3. Most people feel that Calcutta Kill Tournaments do not in any way jeopardize our message to children. I disagree.

4. Without question, my position on Calcutta Kill Tournaments is extremely unpopular and I accept that.

In closing, I want to give a short brief.

I, Tred Barta, believe and stand for certain values which I will defend. My values to the world are neither right or wrong, they are my own. I have been consistent over the last 20 years on how sport, expecially hunting and fishing, in my opinion, has been corrupted by greed and money. Watch Bloomberg for one hour, and it's enough to make you sick. To me, personally, the betting of money on killing God's creatures doesn't sit well with me.

However, let it be very clear: hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives for the freedom of choice and one of those choices is Calcutta Kill Tournaments. Therefore, I defend your right to be part of this mess if you wish to. I do NOT like the message it gives our kids. If your word is backed by an observer, a camera and a lie detector test, then personally, I don't want any part of it.

If we started posting the lawsuits flying back and forth on Calcutta Billfish Tournaments, think how devastating it would be to have our children read this crap. People are actually going to large tournaments like these today with their attourneys. When you turn blue water fishing, the greatest sport on earth, into the business of winning money, under the guise of sportsmanship, it becomes exactly what the definition of cancer is. I love this sport and I love the people in it.

I thank you for the opportunity to express my opinions on this thread. I also thank everyone for being a gentleman. This was a civilized discussion.

I hope we are the better for it, not the worst.

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

[Edge Sportfishing]

Man, I remember when fishing used to be fun.....(barely)

[tim R]

Thanks everyone for participating, sharing your feelings about Calcutta Kill Tournaments. I have read every post carefully and I would like to make the following conclusions.

I don't know how long this thread should go on. At this point, we're getting a touch off-topic. But aside from that, I think every angle or point of view has been expressed.

Let me summarize.

1. It is obvious that 95% of people feel that my point of view is not justified. And that a solid 90% feel my views are hypocritical, considering I used to be called, "The Butcher of Shinnecock" in the Big Eye days. It is food for thought and maybe my position is undefendable.

2. Calcutta Kill Tournaments are legal. And most people feel that if it is legal, it is ok. I do not believe that if something is legal, it's morally justified. But my opposing arguments are sound, and well written.

3. Most people feel that Calcutta Kill Tournaments do not in any way jeopardize our message to children. I disagree.

4. Without question, my position on Calcutta Kill Tournaments is extremely unpopular and I accept that.

In closing, I want to give a short brief.

I, Tred Barta, believe and stand for certain values which I will defend. My values to the world are neither right or wrong, they are my own. I have been consistent over the last 20 years on how sport, expecially hunting and fishing, in my opinion, has been corrupted by greed and money. Watch Bloomberg for one hour, and it's enough to make you sick. To me, personally, the betting of money on killing God's creatures doesn't sit well with me.

However, let it be very clear: hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives for the freedom of choice and one of those choices is Calcutta Kill Tournaments. Therefore, I defend your right to be part of this mess if you wish to. I do NOT like the message it gives our kids. If your word is backed by an observer, a camera and a lie detector test, then personally, I don't want any part of it.

If we started posting the lawsuits flying back and forth on Calcutta Billfish Tournaments, think how devastating it would be to have our children read this crap. People are actually going to large tournaments like these today with their attourneys. When you turn blue water fishing, the greatest sport on earth, into the business of winning money, under the guise of sportsmanship, it becomes exactly what the definition of cancer is. I love this sport and I love the people in it.

I thank you for the opportunity to express my opinions on this thread. I also thank everyone for being a gentleman. This was a civilized discussion.

I hope we are the better for it, not the worst.

Till Next Tide,

Captain Tred Barta

Obviously you did not read your own thread completely...What a waste, the same thing was repeated throughout, Calcutta Tournaments are not the enemy, Commercial Overfishing is...Calcutta's can be argued as morally questionable by those who don't fish towards those who fish for a living or make a living from fishing, but that's a cocktail party not fishing.

It's not "blood" betting when captains, crews, boat builders, boat yards, tackle stores make a living from these events because some owners choose to fish them. Yes if we could come up with a 100% release event that accurately accounted for size or length of fish, I am sure most would agree to that system, but it doesn't exist and THIS is certainly not the problem with our fisheries management. At the end of the day if you don't want to kill fish, stop fishing...

In Kona, HI we have several major calcutta tournaments in the summer that are probably responsible for $10M annually to our economy (being very conservative)...About 14 marlin were killed in these tournaments this year, which means Marlin were worth $714,000.00 per pound AND in Kona, HI as in most other locations, the fish were eaten and not wasted.

I don't know how you hit anything with a bow, being as you were so far off target with your thinking on this topic...Which brings up another point, you harvest / kill animals for your show which IS the exact same exploitation as Calcutta tournaments?

Hey if you want to do something good, come to Kona, HI we'll take you Thresher Fishing and you can catch the all tackle world record and then release it (just like we have done about 8-9 times)...It will be entertaining content for your show, help our tourism / economy and allow you to demonstrate sportfishing conservation, which IS a good thing. Hell you can even sample our amazing upland game bird hunting.

At least you'll be productive and do something positive as apposed to creating this absurd divison among sportsmen who deep down have 90% common ground, but you've choosen to highlight the 10% of discord to sell the "Tred Barta" product and gain attention.

You are entitled to your opinion, just as those of us are entitled to ours, which includes, ignoring you and your sponsors products. I couldn't help but notice no one has bought the ad space at the top of this page....

Tred I don't say this lightly because we all need support from our customers, this topic in itself divides us sportsmen, when we should seek common ground to protect our fisheries, not that it's not a debatable topic, righ now IT should not be a priority...

[Swami]

Maybe we should all look at this from a different perspective. If commercial longlining is the real problem facing billfish stocks on the high seas, and the U.S. is the largest importer of Pacific billfish, why not go after the demand side? Take that away and there's no market for the longliners to sell their fish to, and no reason for them to target billfish.

Side note here: I know that a few billfish will be caught as bycatch in a longline fishery that's directed at tuna or dorado, but it's to the point now where the Costa Rican longliners are intentionally setting for marlin and sailfish. They are allowed to keep a percentage of billfish as bycatch, and that percentage represents quite a handsome addition to their profits back at the dock, so they do set for billfish. This is a fact.

I know TBF had a "No Marlin on the Menu" program a few years ago but that was more of a grassroots effort where you could report a restaurant that was serving billfish and TBF would write them a letter explaining why it shouldn't be sold in their establishment. What I'm talking about needs teeth. Claws. Whatever.

Atlantic billfish are already illegal to sell in the US. Why not just do the same with the Pacific species? Especially since the majority of the US longline fleet is based out of the East Coast, there shouldn't be a strong US-based commercial fishing lobby to fight the battle. Why does this sound so simple?

[hubris 1]

Maybe we should all look at this from a different perspective. If commercial longlining is the real problem facing billfish stocks on the high seas, and the U.S. is the largest importer of Pacific billfish, why not go after the demand side? Take that away and there's no market for the longliners to sell their fish to, and no reason for them to target billfish.

Side note here: I know that a few billfish will be caught as bycatch in a longline fishery that's directed at tuna or dorado, but it's to the point now where the Costa Rican longliners are intentionally setting for marlin and sailfish. They are allowed to keep a percentage of billfish as bycatch, and that percentage represents quite a handsome addition to their profits back at the dock, so they do set for billfish. This is a fact.

I know TBF had a "No Marlin on the Menu" program a few years ago but that was more of a grassroots effort where you could report a restaurant that was serving billfish and TBF would write them a letter explaining why it shouldn't be sold in their establishment. What I'm talking about needs teeth. Claws. Whatever.

Atlantic billfish are already illegal to sell in the US. Why not just do the same with the Pacific species? Especially since the majority of the US longline fleet is based out of the East Coast, there shouldn't be a strong US-based commercial fishing lobby to fight the battle. Why does this sound so simple?

no offense intended but, when did you ever go to a restaurant that served marlin?????????? I've never seen it at the Palm, I know that. go to an asian fish market, theres no telling what you may see but, I'll guarantee you wont find it in Acme. Only third world countries eat that type of food. How are you going to tell people living in the jungle of Panama, No Marlin?

[Squidnation]

Sam I was really shocked to see that the US is the largest importer of Costa Rican Billfish. That must be mostly made up of Sailfish. Any idea where these sailfish go. Is it a food fish for humans or ferterlizer, Farm animal or pet food? I am just amazed that I have never seen sailfish on any menu or in any grocery store.