How to go about making a Specimen fish Claim!

Lads to follow on from the Sunfish report, here is the address for info and forms on claiming a Specimen fish.

[url]http://www.irish-trophy-fish.com/claim_form/instructions.htm[/url]

BTW

"It is only in the case of species which may be confused with other (and often larger) species that full documentation as to identify as required. Scales from the body of the fish must be submitted in the case of three species and the actual body must be sent for identification in no less than 24 species. Clear, sharp, close up photographs showing the entire fish with its fins, lateral line and other features easily seen are required in the case of 8 species. "

So for 24 species, a claim means a dead fish, a dead specimen or record fish. Presumably we'll never see the record for these species broken given all the specimens get knocked on the head for a :@:"@£ medal.

Okay, I'll get off the soapbox now...

My own view is that weight should be replaced by length/width wrt specimen /record classifications
jd

Was fishing with 2 Dutch anglers yesterday, we were fishing for Blue Shark off Downings.

One of them had told me of a 100lb+ fish he had caught about 4 or 5 years ago from the same area, and how he had just returned the fish instead of submitting a specimen claim.

After catching one yesterday myself and seeing an 80lb+ shark up close & personal i'd agree totally that the way forward for these types of fish is to claim specimen awards using digital photography & measurements - they are just too special a fish to simply kill for a medal.

Interestingly the Downings skippers were saying blue numbers have been dwindling severly over the last couple of years with the stocks being hit hard by the long-liners in the Atlantic. A lot of the tagged Downings fish have been killed on the long liners.

agree that good quality close up pictures etc and weighed on certified scales on board the boat should suffice to qualify for specimen weights, so as to give these fish a chance of freedom and life which they deserve but as regards to record fish, the fish would need to be weighed on shore (hopefully still alive where possible) good photos etc and returned-(where weight conversion charts are not available, if so go by them)

personally i think this would be fair to all anglers and all fish.

Some time ago I questioned the killing of fish and specifically Tope for specimen records with the ISFC records officer. This is the response from Dr Roche. The fisheries Biologist from the Central Fisheries Board


The ISFC would share your concern about killing tope but the ISFC rules insist that no fish can be weighed on board as the weight cannot be accurate. The ISFC has investigated the use of so-called on-board weighing scales which are used by scientists monitoring fish stocks off our coast. However, these instruments are expensive and require a good deal of space. Therefore, this necessiates bringing the fish ashore. However, we argue that anglers wishing to weigh fish ashore (ie anywhere on terra firma) are ingeniuos enough to bring the fish ashore alive and return it alive after weighing. This may be difficult but it is feasible if preparations for live transport of fish are in place. Also the decision to claim a specimen is entirely within the gift of the angler as there is no obligation to claim. Undoubtedly the ISFC would like to recieve claims but it is a personal decision.

The ISFC has always used weight as the criteria as weight is the only currency that has any standing in angling. Expressing the new record in terms of length is not a runner at this time. The use of a length-weight relationship has been suggested by many people but the relationship between length and weight is variable and therefore the accuracy of the weight would be subject to query.

Thanks for getting in touch and I hope you can appreciate our position.

Yours sincerely
William Roche

Hmn

I do have sympathy for William's position, however I think that some moral leadership is required here.

We all know and accept that fish of a given length or width will be in or around a given weight depending on the species and the particular fish's conditioning. We all accept electoral polls that are + or - 3% based on a sample of 1032 voters out of a few million eligible voters. We accept medians in all walks of life.

If put to the test, I think most sport anglers would welcome a move to length to weight comparison and its use for specimen and record purposes. Who is to say a particular certified scales is not bang on when a fish is weighed? A little bit of error arises in everything in life...

If you're fish is long and skinny and gets recognised as a specimen because it was probably going to reach the required standard (and if it was put back almost certainly would reach the required weight with a bit of feeding!) who is going to argue?

Length or wingtip measurements should be allowable for specimens. As for it being in the "gift" of anglers, well that is just buck passing. The anglers do not give out the coveted medals, the Fish Committee do...

Soapbox kicked back under the table :roll: .. for a while! :wink: