GUY TALK
PASSION FOR LIFE Most fishermen I know have a deep passion for the sport.
spawning seasons is a passion of mine as well, and we’ve been
The thrill of being on the water, coupled with the battle
successful doing so in Little Cayman where Nassau grouper
between man and fish, permanently injects salt water into
are once again growing stronger. Joe has provided us with a
our bloodstreams. Then there’s the fellowship of old and new
gripping account of his ongoing efforts—regardless of the
friends. Or, the sadness of losing a cherished fishing companion.
10-ft. seas they’ve had to battle along the way.
Last year, my dear friend, Neil Burnie, passed away while
The other grouper we’ve covered in this issue is the mighty
freediving in his home country of Bermuda. I’ve never known
Goliath. Once hunted to near extinction in South Florida, these
anyone who had such a passion for fishing and all things related
massive predatory fish have rebounded. Some claim that their
to the ocean. And, just life in general. A veterinarian by trade,
numbers are so vast that they’ve become a nuisance, while
Neil assisted on many shark tagging expeditions we performed.
other evidence suggests even booming populations have a
He was full of life and always the life of the party. In honor
positive effect on the ecosystem. It’s certainly an encouraging
of him, his work in marine conservation and our friendship,
problem—to have too many of a species when, in most cases,
I’ve included an article about “The Man” in this issue. If you
we’re concerned with declining populations.
didn’t know him personally, at least you’ll get a glimpse of his
GUY HARVEY, PhD
Finally, we’ve taken an in-depth look at Guatemala, a
is an internationally-acclaimed
colourful personality and contributions to our oceans after you
country that shares the Pacific Ocean with one of my favorite
artist, fisherman, scientist, and
read about him.
places in the world—Panama. Tucked away just under Mexico,
world traveler, who devotes
this culturally vibrant nation has some of the most amazing
much of his time and money
on the iconic family of groupers and how they are being
This, the 19th issue of Guy Harvey Magazine, also focuses
sailfishing in the world and, to their credit, they’ve gone to
toward ocean conservation.
managed. Another good friend, Joe Ierna, who resides on Long
great lengths to protect their marine resources.
Island in the Bahamas, has been working hard to protect the
There’s a lot more to keep you entertained and informed
critical spawning grounds of the Nassau grouper from rampant
in this edition, so please enjoy, and just as my friend Neil did,
commercial fishing. Keeping these sites off limits during
always hold onto your passion.
