James RickardThe mother of all ice fishing--Antarctic cod!
June 2nd 2009 00:58
It takes real grit to fish the Antarctic. Imagine a place where you cut a hole in the ice, drop your bait into the water, and ice covers the hole in only minutes!
Looks harmless enough but...
Chances are, if you braved the frigid temperatures, you'd catch an Antarctic toothfish also known as Antarctic cod. A relative of the Pantagonian toothfish, these creatures are often at the top of the food chain in the waters they inhabit but also scavenge around to eat the remains of penguins that are caught by killer whales.
Despite the nickname Antarctic cod, the toothfish is in no way related to the cod although they may share the same waters. Yet, like its cousin the Pantagonian toothfish, the Antarctic species is often found in restaurants and supermarkets as "Chilean Seabass."
No wonder they call it a Toothfish!
It's difficult to talk about the Antarctic toothfish and not mention the Pantagonian species. Both are similar in appearance, a grayish white color, with sizes up to 8 feet in excess of 200 pounds. (2.3 m/91 kg.) although something around 20 pounds is the usual catch.
Still, one has to wonder, "Why go all the way to Antarctica to just to catch fish?" Alas, fisheries in more hospitable climates have been exploited nearly to the nth degree and can scarcely meet the needs of a growing world population. As a matter of fact, Food and Agricultural Organization statistics show 28% of fisheries as over fished. Worse still, 29% are listed as "collapsed." Considering those sobering statistics, it's no wonder fishermen are voyaging into remote waters to feed a hungry world.
Still, one has to wonder, "Why go all the way to Antarctica to just to catch fish?" Alas, fisheries in more hospitable climates have been exploited nearly to the nth degree and can scarcely meet the needs of a growing world population. As a matter of fact, Food and Agricultural Organization statistics show 28% of fisheries as over fished. Worse still, 29% are listed as "collapsed." Considering those sobering statistics, it's no wonder fishermen are voyaging into remote waters to feed a hungry world.
Until next time--watch your line and watch yourself!
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