Commemorating a grandpop’s passion

PANAMA.Fishing is a major recreational activity in the waters bordering Panama and there are many fishing contests to challenge sports fishermen where they can reel in anything from a small tasty mackerel or snapper to a giant marlin weighing hundreds of pounds.

The Isla Viveros website has this month devoted itself to a major event in the Las Perlas archipielago, the annual Novey event now heading to its ninth year honoring the passion of the grandfather of George Novey, who serves as the vice-administrator of Panama´s Aquatric Resources Authority (ARAP) and head of a thriving Panamanian retail group.

George’s own love affair with sports fishing started when as a young boy he accompanied his grandfather every weekend to the waters around Taboga, and Taboguilla.

The contest started nearly nine years ago when 35 boats, mainly yachts from 35 feet up were enrolled.

The eighth straight tournament held this year had a turnout of 57 boats and around 250 people.

The competition covers all 11 species that thrive in the Las Perlas archipelago: marlin, sailfish, wahoo, mahi mahi, Jack Trevali, snapper, grouper, mackerel and tuna. Not a year has passed without fish being caught in each category.

The record catches were a 75 pound wahoo and a 1000 pound marlin, and in case you think that’s a fishy exaggeration, the catch was recorded on tape.

Perhaps the two most exciting incidents over the years, were when two fish were caught on the same lure, and an epic seven hour battle with a monster marlin reminiscent of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

And while they fish, competitors have a sea level view of marine life in the raw; whales everywhere feeding their calves, giant schools of snapper turning the sea red as they rise by the thousand to feed on the surface.

A Special Management Zone of Las Perlas was created a year ago to protect the marine resources and the ecosystems which will sustain all the future tourism activities of Las Perlas.

As the vice-administrator of ARAP George Novey is working with his team on the General Management Plan for the archipelago to encourage the sustainability necessary to guarantee the improvement of the way of life of the different communities and to allow for growth and development of communities.

An insurance for sports fishers in the area is Panama’s Law 18 which protects the entire Archipelago from commercial fishing and extraction of any marine species.

The next Novey tournament is in July 2009, and will include the world renowned presidential challenge making it the best international fishing tournament of the region.

Mr Novey’s grandfather would have been proud of his grandson’s achievement.