KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Anglers Association (SAA) will be organizing its annual Sabah International Fishing Tournament (SIFT) from April 25 to 30.
This year’s tournament will once again be held at Pulau Layang-Layang, according to SAA president Datuk Wilfred Lingham.
The event, which has been listed on the Sabah Tourism Board calendar, has received confirmation from more than 100 participants from several countries such as Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong and China.
“Although the closing date for the entry to Pulau Layang-Layang was on March 18, the tournament is still open for anglers who wish to fish at local fishing grounds such as Samarang, Karang-Karang, 360° and Mantanani as well as around Kudat waters,” Lingham said.
He explained that since the cost to Pulau Layang-Layang can be quite expensive, SAA decided to keep the registration open for anglers who wish to participate and not spend too much money.
This means the public can still register with SAA and depart on April 27. The closing date for them would be on April 24 at 4pm.
Similar to the previous years’ tournaments, anglers participating in SIFT will have to adhere to the rules and regulations set by SAA and the National Safety Council.
This includes fish species which are not allowed to be landed according to the fisheries regulation.
All species of Billfish, Humphead Wrasse (Mameng), sharks and rays are to be released immediately. They must not be landed or killed. Participants who infringe this rule will be disqualified.
For those who manage to hook a billfish, they may submit photographic proof or video of the catch and the fish must be released immediately in accordance with International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) rules.
Commenting on the rules for SIFT, Lingham reiterated that the rules should not be taken lightly.
Also, he added that Pulau Layang-Layang is a security area and thus not a place where one goes to merely have fun as there are rules that one must adhere to.
The prizes have been increased from six to 10 this year with a total of RM70,000 in cash and kind, including trophies and medals.
All participants will receive a tournament T-shirt and certificate. They will also be entitled to a lucky draw, which will be held during the prize presentation ceremony.
Lingham also expressed his gratitude towards the sponsors and supporters of SIFT, namely Sabah Tourism Board, Sri Pelancongan Sabah, Sutera Harbour Resort Golf Marina Spa and Country Club, Parex Group and Davco, Pure Fishing, the State Fisheries Department, MAWILLA and the Royal Malaysian Navy.
He further mentioned that the winning fishes will be auctioned off to the public at 1pm on April 30.
“Those who are interested in buying formalin-free fishes can come and participate in the auction on that day,” he said, adding that this is part of SAA’s efforts to promote awareness about the dangers of formalin.
Lingham said this during SIFT’s press conference at Sutera Harbour Resort yesterday. Also present were MAWILLA’s Staff Operation Officer, Lt Commander Zuraimi Mokhtar, fishing trainer Obit Lo and the manager for Superyacht Liason and Charter of Sutera Harbour Marina, Shirley Poilis.
For further information regarding SIFT, interested parties may contact their secretariat at +6013-850 9788 or +6016-827 6762.