The Last Word
The essence of sportsmanship is the concept of ethical self-regulation. The best way to avoid having our fishing rights impacted through governmet regulation is to take it upon ourselves to be responsible every day.
Other than billfish, tarpon seem to evoke more deeply felt reactions to conservation and sportsmanship concerns than most sportfish. The last few years have certainly proved that statement to be true. If you are a tarpon angler and haven't lived under a rock for the last five years, you are accutely aware of the controversy which has been ignited over Boca Grande Pass in Florida. The controversy in this world famous tarpon location serves as a microcosm of the conflict between differing views of conservation and sportsmanship among tarpon anglers.
Without attempting to judge the merits of the conflicting arguments over Boca Grande Pass (BGP), an examination of the conflict can still serve as a valuable lesson. The fight over BGP serves as an ominous tale concerning the consequences for tarpon fishing when anglers do not learn to police themselves.
While the dispute over BGP is nearly twenty years old, the root of the controversy is the existance of a valuable resource in a limited space. Many characterize the controversy as a battle over access to the Pass created by different preferred fishing techniques. Others, however, argue it is a fight for the survival of tarpon as a species.
To oversimply the two opposing camps, the battle was and still is being fought between traditional live bait anglers and those using some form of an artifical jig. The war started with comments over VHF radios and likely will end at the courthouse. Regardless of which side ultimately prevails or is more ethically on solid ground, the ongoing fight casts a dark cloud over tarpon angling as a whole.
As the protracted battle continues, emotions have grown deep. The attacks have become more personal, and the generals on each side have created a no-man's-land, forcing many anglers to choose camps.
As with any extended conflict, the body count has stacked up. Some would argue it was the dead tarpon seen floating around the pass after certain tournaments. Others believe it has been the traditional anglers who felt wrongfully excluded from the pass due to the fishing techniques used by others. However, the real cost of this fight continues to be the integrity of the tarpon angling public. Our inability to resolve this controversy without airing our dirty laundry for all to see has left all tapron anglers with a couple of black eyes.
As sportsmen, we must find ways to resolve these conflicts without escalating them to the point where nobody wins. To do this, we must reach deep into our own moral fiber and decide whether the positions we take are based on personal economic interests or on the foundations of responsible stewardship. Every angler and guide must examine their fishing techniques and realize that it is more important to fish ethically than to inflate tarpon landings. Although success often drives the economics of any business, increased income may not make us richer.
Every time we leave the dock and with each fish landed, we must try to be responsible stewards of our tarpon fisheries. Tarpon angling is a not only a passion but an addiction that we do not want to be taken away. If we do not learn to police ourselves on a daily basis, we are liable to face increased regulations from uninformed government officials. The more we allow angling conflict or public displays of unethical fishing behavior, the more we put tarpon fishing in peril.
Each of us must, therefore, aim to be a better sportsman every single day. We must also actively work to protect the resource and not waste it, even if tarpon are not an endangered species. Each of us must not only be anglers but faithful ambassadors for the tarpon that we love so dearly.
Be a Tarpon Abassador