The principle objectives for which the Trinidad and Tobago Game Fishing Association (TTGFA) is formed are to encourage the development of fishing as a sport; to assist in the conservation of marine resources, to co-operate with other organizations with similar objectives; to assist in the dissemination of knowledge in marine and fishing matters; to promote; legislation for conservation of piscatorial and other maritime affairs and to promote all such causes as are incidental or conductive to the above objectives.
The Trinidad & Tobago Game Fishing Association was formed on the 22nd October 1986 by two groups, sport fishermen and marine environmentalists. Our first elected president was Commander Jack Williams. Our membership is now over 150 anglers. We are also affiliated with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). |
The Association took over the running of the NP International Game Fishing Tournament in Tobago and is now called the TTGFA MARLIN MADNESS Tournament, which is our largest International event. This tournament is sponsored by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA) and Carib beer. It generally attracts participants from Europe, USA, Canada and throughout the Caribbean islands. Entrants have included Prime Ministers, Government Ministers and renowned sport fishermen. It is conservatively estimated that, with direct and indirect expenses, this tournament earns an estimated $3M for the small Island of Tobago annually.
The Trinidad and Tobago Game Fishing Association also has several other tournaments which are hosted in Trinidad. These include the Beacon Insurance Wahoo Tournament, The Well Services Group of Companies Kingfish Tournament and the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company (TDC) Tarpon Thunder Tournament. There is also a special tournament for the Juniors called the Vita Malt Junior Angler Fishing Tournament. It is held early in the summer holidays as school closes and attracts over 100 children who fish in a couple dozen of our members’ boats. These children are taught fishing techniques which also include safety at sea. In all of our two day (weekend) fishing tournaments, the first days catch is donated by the sponsors to charities.
There has been much world wide publicity of our 2008 TTGFA MARLIN MADNESS Tournament. This was as a result of the world record breaking 890 lb Blue Marlin which was caught by 15 year old Junior Angler, Sean Mendonca on board "Indigo". This has made Sean the 'Junior World Record Holder.
The following year the TTGFA MARLIN MADNESS Tournament made big news again when a 825 lb Blue Marlin was caught by Jovan Jangoo on board "Reel Finatic".
Many of our TTGFA Management Committee members have won numerous Southern Caribbean Regional Tournaments and this has resulted in them qualifying to compete in the very prestigious International Game Fish Association (IGFA) tournament challenge in Mexico. TTGFA Management Committee members that have made the trip to Cabo San Lucas include our President, Richard De Verteuil along with our Secretary, Alan Fitzwilliam, and Committee Member, Steven Valdez in 2006 and 2008.
The TTGFA's conservation activities included pioneering the tag-and-release format of all the Billfish species (Blue Marlin, White Marlin and Sailfish) in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean tournaments. This release format is now a standard in all tournaments. We also built an artificial reef on the North Coast of Trinidad consisting of 25 derelict buses to re-build fish stocks and we were an integral part of the team which formulated new trawler regulations in Trinidad and Tobago which assists in the sustainability of our fish stocks. Additionally, our Association works in close collaboration with the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, who attend all tournaments, to procure fish statistics.
Our Association was represented at the United Nations anti “large scale pelagic driftnet fishing” campaign in 1990 which culminated with a UN ban on such vessels. As a result of this and other conservation activities one of our former members, Sidney A. Johnson was honored with an individual Conservationist of the Year Award from IGFA and in 1991 was honored with an award for Individual of Year from the Billfish Foundation.
Steven Valdez
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