Guy Harvey joins effort to take marlin off the menu

by John Bell on 27 Aug 2011 The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) has joined forces with the International Game Fish Association and the National Coalition for Marine Conservation in support of the Billfish Conservation Act of 2011—essentially taking billfish such as Marlin off the menus in the U.S as a seafood option.

It is currently illegal to harvest or import Atlantic-caught billfish into the U.S., however, fish caught in the Pacific Ocean continue to flood into U.S. markets in substantial numbers, threatening the survival of these fisheries.

Scientific evidence has shown that the current consumer demand for marlin and other billfish has passed sustainable levels, and worldwide marlin populations are being decimated by commercial overfishing.

Marlin, considered to be the pinnacle of offshore gamefishing due to the size, power and relative rareness and vulnerability of the species, has made its way onto dinner plates and seafood markets around the world. The U.S. is one of the main importers of marlin, which has been designated by Greenpeace International to its seafood Red List—a list sold into markets that have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries.

The Billfish Conservation Act of 2011 (S. 1451 and H.R. 2706), introduced into Congress on July 29th of this year, would close U.S. commercial markets to Pacific billfish, preventing their sale and importation (excluding Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Island Area).

For more information on the Billfish Conservation Act of 2011, visit the IGFA website.

About the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation funds inspired scientific research and innovative educational programs to encourage conservation and best management practices for sustainable marine environments. The GHOF will help ensure that future generations will enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ocean ecosystem where fish and other marine wildlife flourish.

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation website