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TBF BILLFISH NEWS
By Dr. Russell Nelson
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The Billfish Foundation... Fish Forever
TBF Board Members Get First-Hand Look at Mag Bay
Actor Paul Walker joined the TBF Board of
Directors this year with a strong interest in ocean
conservation. He took a break from Hollywood’s
fast lane to get a first-hand look at TBF’s “Baja
Conservation Triangle” in Baja California Sur
(BCS). Walker, joined by board members
Paxson Offield and Chairman Brandon Hunt,
traveled to the area last November to review
activities with TBF’s sponsored partner, the
Center for Marine Protection (CMP), and visit the
productive yet troubled Magdalena Bay area.
Arriving in La Paz, the trio joined CMP head
Guillermo Alvarez and BCS chief fisheries officer
Antonio Aviles, to tour local CMP facilities and
discuss potential shared approaches to marine
resource conservation in Mexico. “I think I got a
real sense of how appreciative the Mexican people
are for the good management and conservation
work TBF has done,” Walker said.
Their next stop was Mag Bay, an exquisite area
known for exceptional inshore habitat and
striped marlin fishing. The Bay attracts striped
marlin that forage on abundant baitfish in order
to build energy reserves. Unfortunately, poverty
and social issues in the region are causing the
exploitation of sardines and other fisheries
resources. TBF, the CMP and the Governor of
BCS are working toward shared initiatives to use
economic revitalization and employment alternatives
to remove the pressure on the people and
the fish.
The TBF expedition boarded the Kelsey Lee,
Offield’s 81-foot Garrlington, for fishing and tagging.
The group placed two satellite tags on
striped marlin, along with a spot tag for instantaneous
location transmissions. The fishing was
phenomenal. The group caught over 60 striped
marlin in three days. There was even
time thrown in for catching tuna and
snorkeling with a huge school of
dorado. Although Walker is an avid
diver, surfer and coastal angler, this
was his first brush with offshore big
game angling. “Paul got a chance to
catch his first marlin, tuna and dorado,”
Hunt said. “He is a very good
angler: working bait-and-switch drop
backs, casting to feeders and leadering
fish.”
TBF is delighted to have Walker on
the Board with so many other valuable
members. We especially
applaud his commitment to marine
conservation. Walker plans on joining
in TBF conservation activities in Mexico to
help keep the profile high.
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