IGY Marinas Cabo San Lucas sponsored a local fishing tournament to aid Hope for Los Cabos, a charity committed to Cabo’s disadvantaged families.
The 2017 Bisbee Black and Blue tournament ran for five days from October 23rd, and is an opportunity for hundreds of teams and anglers to compete in fishing for Black and Blue Marlin. The tournament began 37 years ago, and has continued to grow in Cabo in the years since.
Any and all marlin caught, regardless of whether or not they reached the 300-pound minimum to qualify, are donated to Hope for Los Cabos. This year, 120 teams caught 11,249 pounds of Black and Blue Marlin, which equals 33,747 meals to be delivered to the families in need of Cabo San Lucas.
In addition to the food donated to Hope for Los Cabos, the tournament also features a charity auction and raffle programs that raised nearly $200,000 for beneficiaries. Beneficiaries include the Green Scholarship Program and La Paz University, which awards 4-year marine biology scholarships to students to complete their education.
The tournament also places a focus on marine conservation. Any fish caught that is not a Black or Blue Marlin, including striped marlin, sailfish, and spearfish, is released back into the oceans, with top release teams also receiving a prize.
IGY Marinas, formerly Island Global Yachting, was founded in 2005 by Andrew Farkas, who currently serves as its chairman. Since its founding, IGY continues to be an industry leader as one of the largest marina companies in the world. IGY’s sponsorship of the 2017 Bisbee Black and Blue tournament, is one small way the organization gives back to the communities in which it operates.