International Billfishing Tournament Kicks Off in Cuba
The 67th edition of “Ernest Hemingway” International Billfishing Tournament officially teed off on Monday, May 29, at Havana-based Hemingway Marina, in a ceremony where the keynote speech was delivered by Domingo Novo, Marketing Director of the facility located at the western area of the Cuban capital.
The prestigious tournament is attended by 38 teams from nine countries, including Cuba. Beside the teams from the United States, which once again participates with the biggest delegation, there are representatives from Puerto Rico, Holland, Canada, France, Lithuania, Ireland and South Korea. This is actually the first time South Korea attends.
This tournament, the utmost fishing event in Cuba and one of the oldest around the world, was founded by Havana’s International Nautical Club back in May 26, 1950.
The event aims at offering a recreational space that is not only about the participants’ skills, but also about the preservation of billfish species, by applying the rules of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) in the tag-and-release mode.
The tournament is sponsored by Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism, Cubasol, Marina Marlin, Cubanacan’s hotel and restaurant complex at Hemingway Marina, Cuba’s Hemingway International Nautical Club, the Sports, Physical Education and Recreation National Institute, Cuban Fishing Federation, as well as important Cuban and foreign companies.
The rules and methods to be followed in the competition were explained during the meeting held before the opening ceremony of the 67th “Ernest Hemingway” International Billfishing Tournament.
The tournament will include four fishing days with a resting day in between, following the “trolling” method, and eight award categories.
