DATE: Sunday, August 17, 1997               TAG: 9708160621

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C13  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Bob Hutchinson

                                            LENGTH:  100 lines

CCA WANTS STATE CONTROLS ON MARLIN CATCH

Citing scientific evidence that too many white and blue marlin are being caught by commercial fishermen, a leading recreational organization has called for federal intervention.

The Coastal Conservation Association has filed a petition asking the Secretary of Commerce to officially declare the two billfish ``overfished.''

Headquartered in Texas, the CCA has chapters in Virginia and North Carolina.

The CCA cited scientific studies indicating that the overall population of the two popular game and food fish are at less than 25 percent of what they should be to guarantee healthy stocks.

Richard Welton of Virginia Beach, chairman of the Virginia chapter, said the problem was international in scope, since billfish range throughout temperate and tropical waters.

``But it's a serious enough problem in this country,'' he said. ``Most of the fish here are being caught by longliners actually targeting other species, such as swordfish, tuna and mako sharks.

``But the catch in some of the developing countries, where fishery regulations are almost non-existent, is staggering.

``Yet millions and millions of dollars are spent by the world's sportsmen in the quest of billfish, almost all of which are released.

``We don't want to ban commercial fishing for marlin. We just want the catch controlled enough to give stocks a chance to rebuild. Even that will take years and years.''

Reported blue marlin landings for 1995, the last year for which complete records are available, was 3,926 metric tons or more than 8.5 million pounds.

That's more than twice as much as scientists say can be harvested without causing additional declines.

The white marlin catch was 1,046 metric tons, well above the 921 metric tons scientists say could be taken without more damage to the resource.

``We don't expect anything overnight,'' said Welton, ``since scientists have been saying for more than three decades that these two species were being overfished.

``But we certainly think it's time for some positive action, before the fish become so scarce that sportsmen can't catch any.''

POTENTIAL RECORD: Twelve-year-old Kevin Brown of Virginia Beach may have set a children's world record for black drum with a giant weighing 105 pounds.

The massive drum is the biggest reported in Virginia since Jim Murphy of Severna Park, Md., landed a 105-pounder in 1989.

The state record fish, a 111-pounder, was boated off Cape Charles in 1973 by Betty D. Hall of Cape Charles.

Brown's fish was caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on the boat Big Crab.

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) this year began keeping separate world records for fish taken by anglers under age 16.

Incidentially, Brown also caught and released a 53-inch amberjack a few days ago. Both fish earned citation awards from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament.

WOMAN'S WORLD: A couple of items of interest to female anglers:

1. Starting Jan. 1, the IGFA will begin maintaining separate records for catches made on fly-fishing tackle by women. The recognized keeper of world angling standards, the IGFA is headquartered in Pompano Beach, Fla.

2. Professional women bass fishermen now have their own organization, the Women's Bass Fishing Association. It's headquartered at Pelham, Ala., and patterned after the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). Details, 1-800-343-6566.

SCHOOL BELLS: Several sessions designed to make you a better angler are on the September horizon.

Herb Gordon of Virginia Beach will offer a clinic on fishing for white marlin Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at West Marine on Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach. It'll be free. Details: 496-9996.

Eric Burnley of Virginia Beach has scheduled two fishing workshops. The first will be on surf fishing, Sept. 20 at Little Island City Park in Sandbridge, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost will be $30.

Burnley will offer a striped bass workshop Sept. 30 at Salt Ponds Marina in Hampton, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Cost $5. Details on both: Burnley, 430-1903.

SHORT CASTS: Tungsten-iron shot will not be legal for Virginia hunters during early waterfowling seasons, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has announced. The federal government has given its OK but it will be several weeks before the state agency has its regulations finalized. . . . The state will hold public dove hunts Sept. 1, 3, 6 and 13 at wildlife management areas in southern Virginia Beach and Hog Island in Surry County. Lead shot will not be allowed. . . . The state also has scheduled public goose hunting at the Hog Island facility for several days in September. Details on both: 1-757-253-7072. . . . North Carolina hunters bagged 2,890 gobblers this spring, down slightly from the 3,000 harvested in 1996. Caswell County in the state's north-central, was the top area with 326. . . . An estimated 40,000 sea turtles are killed annually worldwide on commercial longlines, according to the International Game Fish Association. . . . Three Virginian bass-fishing pros will be in the 100-person field of the Kmart Bassmaster Top 100 tournament Thursday through Saturday on the Potomac River. They are Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, Woo Daves of Spring Grove and Dave Dudley of Lynchburg. The top prize will be $75,000. Headquartered at Waldorf, Md., the contest is the first event on the B.A.S.S. 1997-98 circuit. ILLUSTRATION: Chart

Salt Water Tournament Leaders

[For copy of chart, see microfilm]

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