El Gouna Hosts Its First Globally Accredited Sport Fishing Contest

Off the shores of the Red Sea, 14 teams representing seven countries will compete to secure saltwater-borne victory in the inaugural El Gouna IGFA Red Sea Championship from February 14th to the 17th.

The competition - the first of its kind to be internationally accredited in a professional partnership with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) - will celebrate the diverse wildlife of the Red Sea, known to be home to over 1200 species of fish, and will be held to the IGFA’s high standards of marine life preservation.

Teams of anglers from Italy, Switzerland, Lebanon, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, in addition to eight of Egypt’s own teams, will cast their lines with finesse over three days of agonising angling. Each team will attempt to catch the mightiest fish in order to outdo their competitors.

Whilst some fish will be kept once caught, arguably the bigger competition comes in the ‘catch and release’ category. Unlike commercial fishing, sports fishing is concerned with the pursuit of the fish, so in many cases what is caught will be measured and then released alive back to the sea. The measurements carry a point value depending on the species, from 20 points for a shimmering African Pompano up to 60 points for the bullet-quick Sailfish, capable of swimming at speeds of up to 110 kph. 

Awards in the competition will cover four different classifications; best catch and release, largest catch (by weight), best angler and best overall team.