Modifying the types of hooks you use can significantly affect a fish’s chances for survival after it is released. When fishing with natural bait (dead or alive), IGFA strongly encourages the use of …
Venezuela Bans Shark Finning, Establishes Shark Sanctuary
22 Jun 20127:04 PM
NOTE: This post was excerpted from an article by Douglas Main on OurAmazingPlanet. Click here to read the full article.
Some much-needed good news for sharks has come from Venezuela this week: The South American country announced it is banning shark finning in its waters and has established a new shark sanctuary.
The country became the last in the Americas to outlaw the practice of cutting off the fins of live sharks and tossing the animals back into the ocean to slowly die.
The country also has created a sanctuary where several important shark species breed, outlawing commercial shark fishing there. The sanctuary consists of 1,440 square miles (3,730 square kilometers) of the Caribbean Sea surrounding the Los Roques Archipelago, a popular tourist destination.
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![](mailto:?subject=Venezuela Bans Shark Finning, Establishes Shark Sanctuary&body=<a href="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_1501.jpg"><img title="Tiger shark - Photo courtesy of Steve Valetta" src="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_1501.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="300" /></a>
NOTE: This post was excerpted from an article by Douglas Main on <a title="OAP.com" href="http://www.ouramazingplanet.com" target="_blank">OurAmazingPlanet</a>. Click <a title="Venezuela Bans Shark Finning, Establishes Shark Sanctuary" href="http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/3072-venezuela-bans-shark-finning.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full article.
Some much-needed good news for sharks has come from Venezuela this week: The South American country announced it is banning shark finning in its waters and has established a new shark sanctuary.
The country became the last in the Americas to outlaw the practice of cutting off the fins of live sharks and tossing the animals back into the ocean to slowly die.
The country also has created a sanctuary where several important shark species breed, outlawing commercial shark fishing there. The sanctuary consists of 1,440 square miles (3,730 square kilometers) of the Caribbean Sea surrounding the Los Roques Archipelago, a popular tourist destination. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/venezuela-bans-shark-finning-establishes-shark-sanctuary/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bonefish Packages Announced at Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vaughn-cochran-and-bimini-catch-lr1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-938" title="Vaughn Cochran taming bonefish in Bimini " src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vaughn-cochran-and-bimini-catch-lr1.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="366" /></a>
Set a New World Record for Bonefish or Permit and Win a Week's Stay For 2
ALICE TOWN, BIMINI-NOVEMBER 21, 2011-Management at the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bimini Big Game Club</a>, a <a title="GHO web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guy Harvey Outpost Resort and Marina</a> has created a novel challenge tied into their newly announced bonefish fishing travel package - break any world record in any line class for <a title="About bonefish" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonefish" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bonefish</a> or <a title="About permit" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permit_(fish)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">permit</a> on fly or spinning rod and win a week's all-inclusive stay for two!
<a title="About Bimini" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bimini</a>, located just less than 50 miles from Miami/Fort Lauderdale, is home to some 50 World Records, with four of those current world records being for bonefish/permit.
Perhaps the most remembered bonefish record was set in 1971 by Virginia Beach sportsman Jerry Lavenstein, who along with legendary guide Ansil Saunders landed a 16-pound, 3-ounce monster just some 300 yards from the
historic Big Game Club.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jerry-ansil-record-catch-lr-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-940" title="Jerry & Ansil with their world record bonefish" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jerry-ansil-record-catch-lr-1.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="640" /></a>
Break Lavenstein's 40-year-old record - or any <a title="IGFA web site" href="http://www.igfa.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IGFA</a> registered record for Bonefish or Permit - and the Big Game Club will provide a complimentary seven night stay, including airfare and transfers, and a day on the water with fly fishing personality Vaughn Cochran.
The competition challenge offer, which is open through 2012, is available to anyone purchasing the special Fly Fishing Package. Details are available at <a title="Bonefish Bimini web site" href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bonefish Bimini</a>, or call Captain Vaughn Cochran at 904-997-2200 or BBGC reservations at 1-800-867-4764. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bonefish-packages-announced-at-bimini-big-game-club-a-guy-harvey-outpost/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Kent Ullberg Visits with GH Outpost at Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show&body=The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is billed as the world's largest boat show, and it certainly lived up to the hype on Friday as huge crowds packed the exhibit areas. The Guy Harvey booth was swamped the entire day, with industry pros and Average Joes alike extending their well-wishes and congratulations on the reopening of the Bimini Big Game Club.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/flbs-kentullberg.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-233" title="Kent Ullberg and friends at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/flbs-kentullberg.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="224" /></a>
One of the many industry celebrities that passed through to visit with the Guy Harvey Outpost team was famed sculptor Kent Ullberg, who delighted fans of the BBGC with his tale of how he came to select a swordfish for display in front of the IGFA HQ in Dania Beach, and how the sculpture came to be cast in stainless steel rather than the traditional bronze.
Kent originally won the job after the IGFA conducted a worldwide search for the right artist and design. Kent's concept was inspired by memories of catching swordfish from his family's commercial fishing boat in his native Sweden, a selection that also fit well within the scope of the IGFA due to the swordfish's iconic stature in big game fishing. The IGFA's architect wanted the sculpture to match the stainless steel exterior of the building, but the technology for casting in stainless steel didn't exist at that time. However, Kent rose to the challenge, figured out the correct process, and is now considered the world's leading expert on casting in stainless steel.
Kent's talents will again be put on display when he designs the Lerner Trophy, a perpetual award that will be given each year at the Bimini Big Game Club's blue marlin tournament, an annual event that will kick off this coming May 18th. Stay tuned for more details. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/kent-ullberg-visits-with-gh-outpost-at-ft-lauderdale-boat-show/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey to Receive Artists for Conservation’s 2011 Simon Combes Conservation Award&body=
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ghtsl1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-919 " src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ghtsl1.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="329" /></a>Guy Harvey painting on location at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama.
GRAND CAYMAN—OCTOBER 19, 2011— A unique blend of artist, conservationist, scientist, diver, angler and explorer, <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey</a>’s lifetime of extraordinary support of conservation through artistic excellence is being recognized by the <a title="AFC web site" href="http://www.natureartists.com/" target="_blank">Artists for Conservation</a> (AFC) during a November festival gala in Vancouver, BC Canada.
One of the most recognized and celebrated marine wildlife artists in the world, with his art adorning everything from clothing to large-scale murals to the walls of museums, Harvey has been named the recipient of the <a title="About the Simon Combes Conservation Award" href="http://www.artistsforconservation.org/programs/awards" target="_blank">2011 Simon Combes Conservation Award</a>. He joins the likes of <a title="David Sheperd's web site" href="http://www.davidshepherd.com/" target="_blank">David Shepherd</a> and <a title="Robert Bateman's web site" href="http://www.robertbateman.ca/" target="_blank">Robert Bateman</a>.
Harvey will receive the award, a trophy design created by <a title="About Peter Gray" href="http://www.natureartists.com/peter_gray.asp" target="_blank">Peter Gray</a> of South Africa, on November 5th, during the opening weekend of the <a title="About the 2011 Artists for Conservation Festival" href="http://festival.artistsforconservation.org/" target="_blank">2011 Artists for Conservation Festival</a> at <a title="About Grouse Mountain" href="http://www.grousemountain.com/" target="_blank">Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, Canada</a>.
The AFC created the Simon Combes Conservation Award in 2005 to honor Simon Combes, a world-renowned painter, author, instructor and dedicated conservationist. He served as Director of the Kenya chapter of the Rhino Rescue Trust. Combes was tragically killed by a charging Cape Buffalo (wounded by poachers), while hiking near his home in Kenya in 2004.
“The great significance in receiving this year’s Simon Combes Conservation Award is being included among other artists whose work I have admired over many years,” says Harvey, who over the years has received numerous awards and accolades. “We are living in times when artists can make important statements about the condition and over-exploitation of the natural world around us.”
Also a professor of marine biology, Harvey’s conservation efforts embrace many threatened and endangered species of marine wildlife, including sharks, marlin, bluefin tuna, Nassau grouper, sea turtles and other species.
Collaboration between Harvey and <a title="NSU's web site" href="http://www.nova.edu/" target="_blank">Nova Southeastern University</a>’s (NSU)<a title="About NSU's Oceanographic Center" href="http://www.nova.edu/ocean/" target="_blank">Oceanographic Center</a> resulted in the creation of the <a title="GHRI web site" href="http://www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Research Institute</a> (GHRI) in 1999, with a mission to provide scientific information necessary to understand, conserve and effectively manage the world’s marine fishes and their ecosystems. In 2008, Harvey started the <a title="GHOF web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoceanfoundation.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation</a>, a non-profit dedicated to funding leading scientists as they develop new strategies for sensible fisheries management, and educators, who will create novel instructional programs to stimulate futures scientists and new stewards of the marine environment.
To see the <a title="GHOF 2011 Highlight Video" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifyYMSc05MQ" target="_blank">GHOF 2011 highlight video</a>, visit the <a title="Guy's YouTube Channel" href="http://www.youtube.com/drguyharvey" target="_blank">Dr. Guy Harvey Channel on YouTube</a>.
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/916-2/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost’s Iguana Crossing Hotel Wins TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award AGAIN!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-2014.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2113" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-2014.png" alt="TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2014" width="276" height="260" /></a><a title="Iguana Crossing" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/isabela-island/property-overview.html">Iguana Crossing</a> has earned back to back Traveler's Choice Awards from TripAdvisor. The top hotel on Isabela Island and ranked second in the Galapagos. Two hundred and forty-two reviewers rated the fourteen room boutique hotel. Two-hundred and twenty-six of the reviewing guests rated this Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge either Excellent (189) or Very Good (37).
In addition to all the terrific land based adventures on Isabela. There is excellent diving, snorkeling and surfing in the Galapagos and Isabela has some of the very best.
Call now for our end of Summer Special available August 13 and September 30, 2014. reservations@guyharveyoutpost.com or 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outposts-iguana-crossing-hotel-wins-tripadvisors-travelers-choice-award-again/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey’s “The Mystery of the Grouper Moon” Documentary to Premier September 13th in Grand Cayman&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/savethespag.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-842" title="Save The Grouper Spawning Aggregation" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/savethespag.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="413" /></a>
45-Minute Film Promotes Protection of the Endangered Nassau Grouper
GEORGETOWN, GRAND CAYMAN— Marine artist and conservationist <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Guy Harvey</a> and award-winning filmmaker <a title="About George Schellenger" href="http://www.statusproductions.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">George Schellenger</a> have a strong message in their new collaboration “The Mystery of the Grouper Moon”— convince <a title="Cayman Islands web site" href="http://www.caymanislands.ky/" target="_blank">Cayman</a> government officials to extend a ban on fishing at spawning aggregations for the endangered <a title="About Nassau Grouper" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau_grouper" target="_blank">Nassau Grouper</a>.
Shot entirely in the Cayman Islands and supported by <a title="REEF web site" href="http://www.reef.org/" target="_blank">REEF</a> (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and the <a title="Cayman Islands DOE web site" href="http://www.doe.ky/" target="_blank">Cayman Islands Department of Environment</a>, the 45-minute documentary is scheduled to premier on September 13th at the Harquail Theatre in Grand Cayman. Two showings are planned, with the first starting at 6 p.m. The general public is invited. Dr. Harvey, a resident of Grand Cayman, will be distributing “Save Nassau Grouper” posters to those in attendance as well as to students on subsequent school visits in October.
At stake in this effort by Dr. Harvey and other leading marine scientists is the protection of one of the last-known intact spawning areas for the Nassau Grouper in the world. An eight year ban on fishing at these spawning aggregations, mandated in 2003 by the CI Marine Conservation Board, is due to expire in December of this year.
“The Nassau groupers in the Cayman Islands used to congregate over the full moon in January and February at eight specific sites,” said Dr. Harvey. “Local fishermen have known about these sites for years, but recently, overfishing at these sites has led to the rapid decline in this species. Today, one active site remains in west end of Little Cayman.”
Dr. Harvey said that thanks to the ban at this site and other locations, colonies are beginning to grow again, thus helping the Nassau Grouper populations to recover.
“Part of our awareness effort is to enlist the support of residents, especially school age children, to send e-mails to the Hon. Mark Scotland, The Minister of Environment, to express their wishes to see the extension on the protection of the grouper holes,” added Dr. Harvey. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harveys-the-mystery-of-the-grouper-moon-documentary-to-premier-in-grand-cayman/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Killing for Conservation!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2068" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg?w=225" alt="Lionfish Derbies Work, 908 Dead Lionfish Cannot All Be Wrong!" width="225" height="300" /></a> Killing for Conservation?Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> (REEF) has been leading the fight against this Indo-Pacific invader and after six years of Lionfish Derbies at Green Turtle Cay the evidence is clear: Lionfish Derbies Work! Lionfish now range from Brazil to North Carolina and beyond. They can live in fresh water too! The 908 Lionfish killed in this one day event was fewer than in previous years even with more divers and better weather. AND those fish that were killed this year were smaller than in previous years; another good sign. Lionfish Derbies will not send the fish back to the Pacific; they can however help local communities keep the population in check.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2071" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg?w=300" alt="Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain" width="300" height="200" /></a>Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain Click Image to Enlarge<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>, a <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> Expedition Lodge hosted the event. For six years, REEF scientists have conducted a Lionfish Census before and after each event to assess the impacts of the Derbies. REEF estimates that had these 908 demons been allowed to roam Abaco waters for another year they would have consumed between 700,000 and 2.2 MILLION! Native prey fish.Congratulations and Thanks to REEF & to The Green Turtle Club for executing a great event for an important conservation mission!For more information on <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> and other <a href="http://www.REEF.org/lionfish">Lionfish Derbies</a>.For More information on <a title="The Green Turtle Club" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>For More information on <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/killing-for-conservation/){kind=link}
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