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PURPOSE AND MISSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL
GOVERNORS CUP TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
The waters off Baja Sur, Mexico are perhaps some of the most
productive sport fishing waters in the world. The convergence
of ocean currents, warm water temperatures and abundant fish-congregating
structure found just offshore come together to create what
Jacques Cousteau called “the worlds aquarium"…
and rightfully so. Over 800 hundred fish species are found
in these waters. Includede are sought after game and sport
fish such as marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, wahoo and countless
others that occupy inshore and reef environments. To allow
such a pristine marine environment to succumb to the pressures
of aggressive, poorly conceived commercial fishing would be
a grave error in policy.
The value of adopting sustainable use practices for these
nutrient-rich waters is multi-faceted. From an environmental/ecological
standpoint, conserving the species and environs found here
allows for continued scientific research into the roles that
our oceans play in the overall health of our planet and what
we can do to ensure it’s future. From a socio-economic
perspective, the revenue generating potential these waters
provide to both the local, state and federal governments is
at present, greatly under developed.
Currently, most of the revenue generated from the waters off
Baja Sur come from commercial fishing – a practice that
if left in it’s current loosely regulated and supervised
format, may well spell the end of an era. An era where the
fish that swim not far from our shores can provide a much
needed and significant economic boon, to an era where neither
commercial fishing or recreational sport fishing remain viable.
The most significant factor in the forming of the Governors
Cup Tournaments and the International Governors Cup Tournament
Championship was the opportunity to spread the word about
Baja Sur’s magnificent fisheries. To show that a turn
away from commercial fishing and towards recreational sport
fishing would have positive, long lasting benefits for Baja’s
many coastal fishing villages. A way to show the great potential
that sport fishing and the development of infrastructure have
to bolster the national economy of Mexico. That by developing
a simpler method to manage the sustainability of our fish
stocks, Mexico can continue to draw from the sea for generations
to come.
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