The Big Game Cup has started in Dubrovnik two days ago and brought together the best fish hunters from the region and beyond.
‘This cup is like golf in the sea, our Formula. It is sports for somewhat richer people, explained the already experienced participants of this year’s Big Game.
They started when the Big Game began in Croatia, back in 1997. The first tournament was held in Jezera on the Island of Murter. Then it started to spread all over the Adriatic Sea, mostly around Komiza and Dubrovnik. Today, this tournament attracts many wealthy tourists to Dubrovnik, it has the great significance in the tourist but also in the hunting industry.This year it began a little bit after 8 am at Porporela. Each ship got five crates of frozen fish for the bait, and they were allowed to have another 5 or 6 fresh fishes.
‘We got points if we took out tuna, swordfish, Mediterranean spearfish, dolphin fish or albacore. The default space is very wide, from Molunat in the south to Ponte Sipan in the north, and 15 nautical miles in the direction of international waters’, explain.
The judges are placed on the judge’s board, but there are very strict conditions against cheating.
‘If the catch was not documented in a video footage, it’s like you didn’t catch it. Also, each ship will receive a stamp for each fishing day, and each of the four rods also gets its mark. Everything must be documented by hunters.
In Croatia, during the recent years, whatever they would catch they would also release. Hunters respect the fauna and ecology of the Adriatic. That is why the season od the Big Game lasts from June 15 to October 15, but competitions usually start mid-July.
The largest fish caught during the game was in 2009 when someone caught tuna of 303 kilograms which is, officially, Croatian record.
This year’s contest will be finished today, when we will know the names of the winners, as well as a record yield.
