MISSION: SUPERFISH
Marine biologist and award-winning filmmaker Rick Rosenthal set out to capture on film the biggest, fastest, most dangerous gamefish in the sea — the ancient creatures known as billfish.
The largest of all billfish is the marlin. They top speeds of 60 miles an hour on migrations that can span 9,000 miles. The largest, always female, weigh in at over 1,000 pounds, and are known as “granders.” Ernest Hemingway immortalized the grander in The Old Man and the Sea, the story of an elderly fisherman locked in a life and death struggle with this apex predator. To Hemingway’s great disappointment, he himself never landed a grander, although his novella captures the impact of this huge and graceful creature.
Rosenthal’s pursuit of these exotic fish unfolds in NATURE’s Superfish. Two years in the making, Rosenthal’s documentary travels to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well as the Caribbean Sea in pursuit of these giants of the deep. In one extraordinary scene, off Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, Rosenthal is shown swimming with a stunning giant female marlin and two courting males.
Throughout his journey, Rosenthal encounters commercial fisherman, anglers, and researchers, who are also out looking for billfish. The search has become increasingly difficult for everyone due to over-fishing of billfish and their prey, as well as the environmental degradation of the oceans, which has resulted in a dramatic decline in their populations. The trajectory of population decline in all large fish has been precipitously steep, estimated at 90 percent within the last half century.
In the 1950’s, sports fishermen — like those who flocked to Cabo Blanco, Peru in the heyday of “Marlin Boulevard” — were known for testing themselves against marlin with rods and reels. Today, some fisherman are defending billfish against commercial fishing fleets that, while going after the seafood we eat, kill these increasingly rare sport fish in their nets as so called accidental by-catch. In major part because of the absence of regulations that limit such by-catch, marlin and other billfish populations continue to decline. In the case of marlin, some anglers, frustrated with governmental inaction, have pressed for local bans on the sale of such fish, and have sought commitments from local restaurants not to serve marlin.
Rosenthal’s difficult quest to encounter a giant marlin in the wild, rewarded by his exceptional footage of this fabulous creature, not only offers a rare aesthetic and learning experience for viewers but may serve to awaken people to the need to preserve these remarkable billfish in their native habitats. Buy the DVD. This film premiered May 2008.
going marlin fishing next month in Kona, Hawaii. will see this film on our local PBS station sunday night at 8, and live in flagstaff, az.
man am i pumped after seeing the previews. i may have to buy the DVD. i have caught striped marlin before which are not very big 100-125lbs at east cape, mexcio. going for the blues in kona should be an experience as they are much larger, but fishing is fishing. the fishing may be great but the catching just so so. i am a catch and release guy kinda guy. i am saddened seeing people standing beside their marlin hanging upside down on the dock with a happy grin on their face. that is not what it is all about.
Awesome photography! However, it’s sad to me the direct impact we humans have on the growing extinction of these majestic marlin and billfish. The irony is the more beautiful some poor creature seems to us, the more we enjoy pursuing them even down the path of destruction. This seems to be our most basic and instinctive reaction to all things Nature.
And I don’t find maiming (catch and release) fish any better than outright killing them either. Why should unnecessary pain and suffering be inflicted on animals in the name of game and sport? As privileged humans, don’t we have thousands of other means of peaceful entertainment at our disposal already? Why should we not be satisfied unless we cause fear, pain, or death on another living being who’ve done nothing to us?
i look forward to seeing it though i wonder if its on air yet i really enjoy nature shows did you know that. Nature has great timing but i might not see out back pelicans because guests are coming but i look forward to seeing it online i hope they put it on there though.I think there is Awesome photography! However, it’s sad to me the direct impact we humans have on the growing extinction of these majestic marlin and billfish. The irony is the more beautiful some poor creature seems to us, the more we enjoy pursuing them even down the path of destruction. This seems to be our most basic and instinctive reaction to all things Nature.
And I don’t find maiming (catch and release) fish any better than outright killing them either. Why should unnecessary pain and suffering be inflicted on animals in the name of game and sport? As privileged humans, don’t we have thousands of other means of peaceful entertainment at our disposal already? Why should we not be satisfied unless we cause fear, pain, or death on another living being who’ve done nothing to us?It just not right its not fair I once had a dream that a man was killing a rat and i told him i will kill you if you kill him.That shows that even small animals mean something in this world.Every animal has a reason to live in this world we should not be controlling that imagine us as them.How would you feel.
Great footage and information. I only hope we can make society aware of the depletion of our precious animals, resources, and environment.
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It’s good to offer. And I have been taught about this article. And will be used in everyday life.
I have never eaten fish or seafood. I stopped eating animal flesh when I was 19. My uncle was a game fisherman and I remember being on his boat in the waters off Los Angeles…and i would throw his bait into the water when he wasn’t looking. He had stuffed marlins on his walls. It made me sick. Watching your show im so miserable again. I hate what people do.
I have fished the Marlin and other billfish and inshore fish off Ecuador since 1965. Rick’s underwater film, “Superfish” is by far the best video on the market; it’s now available from PBS.org on disk. Active conservation and a war with the polluters will save the bill fish. Industrial Nets have to be eliminated, sport fishing catch and release programs only must be mandatory, and preservation of habitats. We know where the prime fishing/spawning waters are located throughout the oceans; we bill fishermen must get enforceable conservation legislation on the books to preserve the superfish that remain.
CONSERVATION is key to preservation of marine habitats for bill fish. The countries with ocean habitats for bill fish need an international treaty. Perhaps the United Nations could broker the bill fish habitat treaty. Coast Guard personnel and boats from the member nations could enforce the treaty.
When can we watch the entire show online? I want to share this!
Awesome program. I found a marlin bill trophy at a local market. The fish was caught in cabo blanco in 1955 on the Miss Texas by C W Bliss. I was amazed the boat was shown on the program with the same date. Does anyone know anything about the man who caught this fish.
Sherrie
I am the grandson of Clarence White Bliss (C W),
He lived in Cleveland Ohio and was a member of the USA fishing team.
He fished with Hemmingway on several occasions.
You have one of 3 trophies he had in his home, Two were Black Marlin and the third was a Blue Fin
Tuna that weighed in at over 1000 lbs . The tuna was caught in Nova Scotia.
The trophy you saw was only the bill and the tail fin. Included was the wire leader
complete with the steel hooks. The base of he bill had a gold plaque with name, date.
location,and weight of fish.
Look online for T he Cleveland Plain Dealer +CW Bliss.
There are several stories with pictures.
He was alsoo a judge for the AKC (American Kennel Club).
respond on this site wioth any addital questions.