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One of the Pacific's premier big game fishing tournaments will be held in Samoa in August 2002.
The annual Samoa International Game Fishing Tournament has been running since 1996 and is becoming increasingly popular. In 1996 it attracted 45 competitors and last year had 97 fishermen and women from New Zealand, Australia, USA, Holland, England, Tonga, Fiji, America Samoa, Tokelau and Hawaii.
The base for SIGFA's (Samoan International Game Fishing Association) competition is the beautiful Apia Harbour on Samoa's Upolu Island. Upon arrival, competitors are briefed and introduced to their skippers before the tournament's opening cocktail function at Samoa's Visitors' Bureau.
Most of the boats used throughout the tournament are chartered from local owners, but other competitors sail their own boats in from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa. The Pacific Forum Shipping Line also ships in boats from these centres.
Tournament director, Nofoatolu Peter Meredith, says Samoa's
recreational sports fishermen initiated the event to promote big game
fishing in Samoa. With huge international interest each year, the tournament has helped grow this emerging part of Samoa's tourist industry. It's also been an advantage having Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, a keen fisherman, standing as SIGFA's patron.
"Our
aim this year is to make the tournament the best again," says Meredith.
"We want to entice anglers from around the world to the heart of Polynesia
and experience the legendary hospitality of Samoa while being able to
participate in the tournament."
The
country's balmy temperatures and plentiful supply of marine life makes
Samoa the perfect spot for anglers, but there are also other big incentives.
Tournament prizes range from a daily sports package worth $10,000 to airfares, a $50,000.00 insurance prize and $10,000.00 for best overall team. There are also prizes for up to $1000.00 for seven fish categories (marlin, sailfish, yellowfin, masimasi, wahoo, giant trevally and dogtooth tuna) and five other $5000.00 insurance prizes.
Each angler pays $500 tala to compete and may have any number of anglers in a team. Once teams have been assigned and briefed, co-ordinates are given for their specified fishing location by one of three FADs. The skippers are mostly experienced Samoan fishermen so they too have their secret spots they like to take the anglers to.
The FADs (fish attracting devices) are a buoyed line anchored offshore
in deep water. The line consists of rope and chain on which growth
forms that attracts small fish. This in turn attracts the baitfish that
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consequently catches the attention of the bigger predators and along with them, the anglers! These devices are popular in the Pacific Islands, and the three deployed in Samoa last year were done through SIGFA and the NZ High Commission.
The week-long programme for the 2002 SIGFA tournament is full on but fun. Anglers are met at the airport by a SIGFA welcoming team and taken to their hotels. The briefing is held on Monday followed by the official welcome that evening. The four days of fishing that follow start with a hearty breakfast at Polytech catering school.
Fishing may commence at 0400 hours in areas between Upolu and Savaii islands. These sunrise starts are a beautiful way to see the islands wake up. It also heralds the "electric hour", a brief time slot where the fish are hungry and the sunlight hits the fishing lures at the right angle.
Many a seasoned angler knows the adrenaline rush that comes from hooking "the big one". New Zealand's Steve Cullen broke the sailfish 37kg line class national record last year with a 26.8 kg sailfish one mile out of Apia Harbour. Proud angler, Lyvia Black, also set a new ladies' wahoo record with her 11.1 kg catch on a 15 kg line. It was her first time out fishing.
The tournament is fished in strict accordance with the International Game Fishing Association's rules. All fish must be weighed in at 5.00 pm sharp with each angler completing a catch sheet and presenting their tackle with which the fish was caught. Afterwards, all weighed fish is given away to sponsors, charities or turned into sashimi for the evening happy hour back at the Visitor's Bureau.
Grant
Dixon, editor of New Zealand Fishing News, has missed only one of the
SIGFA tournaments. He says it is a great event that offers different fishing
to his home country.
"The Samoans go all out to make your stay enjoyable," says Dixon. "You can also go there at a time of the year when there is no game fishing in New Zealand and have fun in Samoa which is a great country full of truly hospitable people."
"The tournament itself has gone from strength to strength each year as indicated by the steadily increasing number of participants."
For more information, check out SIGFA's website
www.fishing.ws or contact
Peter Meredith at:
pm@samoa.ws
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