Big Boi caught a big boy! The Atlanta-based rapper reeled-in a huge striped marlin while deep sea fishing in Mexico.
Despite allegations of wrongdoing, his catch was completely legal.
The Billfish Conservation Act only applies to the United States. And under Mexican regulations, billfish are strictly reserved for recreational sport fishing to protect coastal tourism and to prevent commercial overexploitation.
Big Boi caught a big striped marlin in Mexico.
Antwan André Patton, known professionally as Big Boi, is also known as Daddy Fat Sax, Sir Lucious Left Foot, Black Dog, Francis the Savannah Chitlin Pimp and Billy Ocean. The lattermost title is currently the most applicable.
Big Boi set out into the Pacific Ocean from Cabo San Lucas to see what was biting. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to catch, if anything, but he had a few specific fish in mind.
The trip proved to be a great success. Big Boi caught a massive striped marlin on a rod that took him 50 minutes to get in the boat. It measured ~99 inches. It weighed ~200 pounds.
Big Boi obviously plans to keep the fish for himself. He said that he is going to get it taxidermied and shipped to Atlanta.
Billfish are completely legal!
The United States passed the Billfish Conservation Act in 2012. It was amended in 2018.
The law, in general, “prohibits any person from offering billfish or billfish products for sale, selling them, or having custody, control or possession of them for purposes of offering them for sale.” There are two specific exemptions:
- Billfish caught by U.S. fishing vessels and landed and retained in Hawaii or Pacific Insular Areas (as defined under the MSA) are exempt from the general prohibitions on sale and custody with the intent to sell (sec. 4(c) (1); and
- Billfish landed by foreign vessels in the Pacific Insular Areas and exported to markets outside the U.S. or retained within Hawaii and the Pacific Insular Areas for local consumption are exempt from the general prohibitions on sale and custody with the intent to sell (sec. 4(c)(2)).
The Billfish Conservation Act defines “billfish” as any:
- Blue marlin
- Striped marlin
- Black marlin
- Sailfish
- Shortbill spearfish
- White marlin
- Roundscale spearfish
- Mediterranean spearfish
- Longbill spearfish
Swordfish are exempt from the definition of billfish but that doesn’t matter. Big Boi caught a striped marlin.
If he was intending to sell the fish, it would be illegal to keep. He is in the clear because the Billfish Conservation Act does not apply to personal and local consumption. Nor does it apply to Mexico.
Mexico protects billfish through its General Law of Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture. The law designates nine specific species of fish for sport fishing. That includes the striped marlin. Anglers are allowed to catch one billfish per day, but only 50 nautical miles outside of the Mexican coastline.
Any commercial capture, sale or trade of sport-caught billfish is illegal. Big Boi’s striped marlin can only be used for personal consumption of taxidermy mounts. He is going with the latter. It will be mounted at his mansion in Georgia!