EDITORIAL

KUDOS TO THOSE WHO WORK FOR OUR SPORT

MANY, many years ago during a competition briefing, the club chairman was explaining the competition’s fishing rules, referring constantly to IGFA’s rules. Eventually an old fisherman stood up at the back of the venue and queried: “Wie is dié ou IGFA?Van watse klub kom hy af?”

The chairman responded to the much more graphic question than that stated above, that IGFA was an international organisation that had set rules and regulations primarily as a basis for qualifying fish caught for world records. The organising club was a member of IGFA and therefore followed these rules. He explained that, as a result, any potential world record fish caught would become eligible not only for a world record, but also a club, provincial and South African record. The challenger sat down, clearly confused, but wary of challenging the dictatorial club chairman.

For other readers who perhaps don’t know “who” IGFA is, the International Game Fish Association was founded in the USA in 1939, by Michael Lerner and other forward-thinking sport anglers who wanted a list of gamefish records for species caught in the USA and, in the longterm, worldwide. Obviously, a set of rules and fishing methods would be required to level the playing field and ensure that fish registered as world records were indeed that. From then on the biggest fish of a species caught, fair and square, under the same rules, became the world record.

Not only does this set a target for all anglers, but it also provides very valuable scientific information on the world’s sportfish species.

South Africa, through the influence of Simon Susman of the Southern African Game Fish Association, was instrumental in persuading all South African sports anglers to adopt these rules and to work towards getting South African game- and sportfish — both saltwater and freshwater species — recognised for records.

Following in Susman’s footsteps, John Pledger, Eugene Kruger and I accepted appointments as IGFA representatives for South Africa during the early 1980s. We strove not only to promote IGFA, but also to follow its philosophy regarding methods of sportfishing. We also sought to promote the ideals of ethical and sustainable use of the world’s sportfish species to South Africa’s government and sports anglers.

Last year IGFA started forming more official structures within most of the countries supporting this arrangement, to enhance the IGFA philosophy in those regions or countries to further promote its aims.

I’m proud to say that many South Africans feature on the newly formed IGFA Africa Regional Council, including SADSAA president, Chris Schorn. Chris is not only an IGFA representative, but was also appointed as an IGFA Trustee this year to lead the South African region of IGFA to greater heights.

ORGANOGRAM OF IGFA AFRICA REGIONAL COUNCIL:

Council Chair: Johan Zietsman, Ghana

Deputy Council Chair and Development Committee Chair: Chris Schorn, SA

Conservation Committee Chair: Roy Bealey, Kenya

Education Committee Chair: Brendan Davids, South Africa

Rules and Recognition Committee Chair: Nick Nel, South Africa

Rules and Recognition Committee: Brendan Davids (South Africa), Peet Koekemoer (South Africa), Neil Deacon (South Africa), Roy Bealey (Kenya).

Education Committee: Nick Nel (South Africa), Neil Coetzer (South Africa), Jaco Visser (Namibia)

Development Committee: Edwin Freeman (South Africa), Jaco Visser (Namibia), Erwin Bursik (South Africa).

Conservation Committee: Neil Deacon (South Africa), Andrew Nightingale (Kenya), Malcolm Grant (South Africa), Edwin Freeman (South Africa).

SKI-BOAT magazine has been the voice of SADSAA since its inception and is a firm supporter of the incredible role IGFA plays in ensuring the future of sportfishing right across the world.

We wish the committees well in their future endeavours.

Erwin Bursik