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When you think
about the history of Texas and the Old
West, the first thing that comes to mind
is the Cowboy. He rode along the ranges
watching and protecting his herd, and
trying to conserve them until they made
it to market. A big part of that cowboys
job was Round-up. That was an important
and busy time. The cowboy would separate
the yearling steers to check, vacinate,
(if available) and brand the cattle with
the mark of the ranch. This brand was the
cowboys way identifying his resource. If
his steer wondered off, others would be
able to tell by the brand where it has
been and where it's home range was,
mainly the ranch that it belonged to.
These cowboys did this all over the West,
and it was a standard and accepted
practice.
Well, the Texas
Gulf Coast, as well as other coasts
around the Country and Internationally,
are home to a new kind of Cowboy.
These
"Cowboys" still work bulls, but
not the kind you are thinking of, and
they still brand'em too... But not in the
same sense of the old west. The horses of
yesterday, have been traded in for Modern
vehicles, but still measured in
Horsepower. They still enjoy the same
glowing red sunsets the cowboys of old
did, and the stories told at the end of
the day. The bulls no longer sport horns,
but fins instead. The branding irons have
been traded in for tagging sticks, and
the brands are no longer a charred ranch
logo, but hi tech tags, that will carry a
special designated number that supply a
wealth of information for marine
biologists when and if the animal is
recaptured. The new cowboys of today are
inshore, and offshore anglers. The new
ranges and frontier that is facing these
anglers is the same ocean and its
inhabitants that have dwelled in healthy
numbers and an ecological balance for
millions of years. Only now the
"hostiles" that threaten the
very existence of this new frontier and
these animals, is none other than
ourselves and our own lack of knowlege.
These anglers
spend their days in the pursuit of the
quarry they choose. Be it sharks, or
Marlin, or a number of other bill fish.
They catch, record the data of their
catches, and carefully place a numbered
tag near the dorsal fin of their
trophies, and release them to live on, so
that we can learn more about them by
being caught at a later date and time.
Only recently
have we started to scratch the surface
and are realizing that our oceans are not
an over abundant resource we can over
harvest and waste. Now we are starting to
realize that some of our resources
numbers and levels have fallen to
startling numbers, and their future after
millions of years of survival is at best
threatened. This new way of thinking and
the idea that recreational sportsman can
assist in learning about our dwindling
resources and their life cycles is a new
and important concept for anglers.
We have seen
our redfish and trout fisheries suffer
from over harvesting and revived to good
healthy numbers with the assistance of
science, marine biology, good sound
management practices and the cooperation
of sportsman and commercial fisherman.
Anglers of
today, have and are developing into one
of the few hopes and opportunities we may
have left to study more about our marine
resources. Mountains of information,
supplied by contributing anglers, have
been deciphered to reveal little subtle
facts about our marine life that we have
never had the opportunity or the
resources to know. Lifecycle facts,
breeding facts, movement and travel
patterns. Distances migrated, and many,
many more. Just a few little steps closer
to understanding the delicate balances of
our ecosystems, and how to maintain it
and its existence in harmony.
Sharks are one
of the most intimidating and
misunderstood species living in our
oceans and bays today. Hollywood, and the
media have escalated the fear and panic
we have for these animals. Once again,
researchers, through data they have
learned through sportsman in part, can
now begin to reducate the public to the
truth about these mysterious predators.
Researchers and Scientists are learning
new things about sharks and Billfish
almost on a daily basis. The mindset of
Anglers, has been turned 180 degrees,
from the thinking of just 10 to 15 years
ago. The goal of conservation, and catch,
tag and release, is being laid into the
hands of the people who enjoy and have
the most contact with it. Anglers are now
making a difference in the resource they
love to pursue. The change is slow, but
the general public, and new anglers
alike, need to be coached and educated in
the ways of the "New Frontier"
in order for our conservation efforts to
grow and improve, and for our resources
to be here and in healthy numbers for
tomorrow.
You can learn
more about National
Marine Fisheries Service and
its Apex
predators tagging program by
going to their website
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ or writing to
them at the following address: NOAA
Fisheries, 1315 East West Highway, SSMC3,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
by Victor Delgado
aka
"WhopperStopper or Whopper" on
the Surf-Masters
Saltwater Message Board
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