Scientists Calling for IGFA to Change Record Practices

A group of scientists led by researchers at the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy have published an article in the journal Marine Policy (Vol.50, Part A; Dec. 2014; p. 318-322) calling for the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to suspend record keeping for at-risk species.

According to the article, which is co-authored by seven scientists, including lead author and marine biologist David Shiffman, “Trophy fishing occurs when anglers target the largest members of a species with the goal of obtaining an award with perceived prestige. The largest members of many species are also the most fecund, raising alarms about the disproportionate impact of removing the largest individuals of species of conservation concern. Presented here is the first systematic analysis of the conservation status of fishes targeted for world records by the International Game Fishing Association. Eighty-five species for which IGFA records have been issued are listed as Threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. If the IGFA stopped issuing records that implicitly require killing the fish for IUCN Red List Threatened species, it would immediately reduce fishing pressure on the largest individuals of species of conservation concern while still allowing anglers to target more than 93% of species that records have been issued for.”

The researchers call on the IGFA to alter their focus from mass-based measurement to length-based criteria. Such measurements, coupled with photographs and smart phone technologies, they argue, could provide enough evidence for the record keeping system without requiring that anglers kill the fish. Current IGFA regulations require a fish to be weighed on a certified scale in order to qualify as a record; fish most often do not survive the transport to a weighing station.

The IGFA has been the primary record-certifying agency for fish catches since 1939 and maintains records for approximately 1200 fish species.

We will be interested to see how the IGFA responds to the article.