Wow, it is hard to believe that we are currently in the midst of the eleventh Bermuda Big Game Classic! It seems like only yesterday that marlin tournaments were the province of a very few who devoted just a few days a year to these species. It just goes to show that things can change.After years of knowing that we had marlin in abundance and, perhaps more importantly, in large size, it finally took government support and a few visionaries to ally themselves with the professionals who do know tournaments and how to run them. They are also well connected to those who fish the tournaments because they can afford to and because they want to.This format has proven popular throughout the billfishing world as it allows fort active participation without invoking the ire of the environmentalists who cringe at seeing multiple dead marlin hauled up and hung down at some dockside.And to be fair to the conservation crowd, there is no doubt that the world's fishing pressure both commercial and recreational was making inroads into the billfish population with the strong suspicion that one day there might just not be enough left to sustain the species or the sport. The growing displeasure with sports seen as blood sports and the proven ability to catch a fish and to release it only to give it the potential to have it caught again, made the transition to release events easy and sensible.The one thing that those tournaments lacked was the opportunity to set new records or provide a platform for what has become high stakes gambling. Thus, the modified release tournament came into being.The modification clause allows for the boating of large marlin. This is usually limited to one fish per boat per day. What describes a large marlin varies with locations but here in Bermuda there is a 500-pound minimum weight. The awarding of points commensurate with that a 500-pound blue marlin would score for all blue marlin releases regardless of size makes the smart move to release unless the fish is truly enormous. To further safeguard proper practices, there are penalty points for any undersized fish that are brought ashore.This event, which is popular for a lot of reasons, draws participation form a large number of foreign boats that come here because of the quality of the fishing and the more than just welcome standard of living and safety aspects to be found on a foreign island.The lure of large amounts of cash associated with the tournament itself and the number of pots associated with it also bring in participants, particularly local boats who have done rather well over the years.Also the fact that these Bermuda tournaments take place in July before the real tropical activity gets underway and is a valid threat to such boats is also a consideration. A trip here is also a good build-up in advance of many of the huge money tournaments that are to be found on the East Coast during August before heading down to the Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands often then heading to Venezuela to finish out the season.This year's event has drawn 268 anglers on 47 teams on and while the vast majority of the action takes place offshore, the land side of the competition takes place at Barr's Bay Park each evening where competitors and casual observers can mingle and see what the day's efforts have brought ashore.Apart from big blue marlin, there are also tournament catch categories for more traditional eating fish such as tuna and wahoo. Members of the public are encouraged to stop by as it only takes a few minutes to get a feel for the flavour of a major international fishing tournament.As to the fishing itself, the early indications were that the blue marlin had reasserted their seasonal dominance over the white marlin, with about twice as many blues being caught and released. Although this reveals a drop in the number of white marlin, it still makes them more commonplace than the casual observer would expect. And given the structure of the tournament, each white marlin release represents 200 points and those points might well serve as tie-breaker or give a boat the tiny edge needed to slip into first place or to at least move up a place or two.To put things in perspective, last year's tournament with 49 teams of participants, caught 66 blue marlin and 20 white marlin over the three days. The current event is showing similar numbers of fish with the possibility of the third day resulting in all kinds of scatter action. Those who subscribe to the theory that the days either side of a full moon can be red hot, are getting just that today.So, here we are with the Classic well and truly underway with the final day's fishing taking place today. While up-to-the-minute catch reports are available on line at www.bermudabiggameclassic.com these, in and of themselves, do not necessarily predict the winners. As was seen in last week's tournament, things can change dramatically in just a few hours. It won't be until it is all over that the outcome will find its way into the history books.And even after that, it won't be all over just yet. The final leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown, the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament, will be fished between Ju;y 20-24 and give anglers a final chance to stamp their authority on a trophy blue marlin.The earlier mention of conservation measures is not limited to this type of tournament. There are other that are being pursued in order to maintain or enhance the world's stocks of fish that are, in addition to being commercially important, are also vital to the sport of game fishing. There has been a recent move in Costa Rica to take marlin off restaurant menus and although this movement has been going on in the United States for years, the marlin species do show up in fishmongers and fish markets all over the world.An effort to take them off the menu in areas where they are commonly encountered can only help reduce the already substantial pressure that they are under. Similarly, the United States has now decided not to put the bluefin tuna on their endangered species list as this would totally restrict the sport fishery and have a global impact on the management of the species as well as causing all sorts of trade issues, particularly with European nations and Japan. What is hard to believe is that these things are not really all about the fish but about the people, economics and the politics. These policies are ever-changing and anyone interested in following them would do well to read the less interesting sections such as the editorials of the fishing magazines or newsletters.Lots of fishing going on at the moment and lots more to come. Those avoiding the billfish will find that there still is plenty of small game, no shortage of tuna and a few wahoo. Over the next few weeks, the blackfin tuna will come into their own and, if light tackle is your bag, here is a great opportunity for some Tight lines!!!