Royal Pahang Billfish International Challenge

RPBIC Rules & Regulations

RPBIC RULES & REGULATION

 

PARTICIPANTS'S DECLARATION OF CONFORMANCE TO RPBIC RULES AND REGULATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN ROYAL PAHANG BILLFISH INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE (RPBIC)

Any and all Participants to the RPBIC shall understand and accept that their participation in the RPBIC events (the “Event”) is subject to the following Terms and Conditions of Participants for RPBIC Events and Competitions (the “Terms and Conditions”). “Participants” mean any and all persons participating in the RPBIC Events in any manner, including but not limited to contestant, team officials, national federations representatives, teams, coaches, agent, etc.), from any country, gender and age. 


RPBIC Fishing Rules & Regulations

RPBIC - FISHING RULES & REGULATIONS

1.   General Rules & Regulation: All participants, boatmen and marshals must be fully aware of and shall comply with the rules set for RPBIC.

2.      Competition Schedule: RPBIC 2023 will take place on September 08 – 10th, 2023.  The Organiser reserves the right to postpone, stop or cancel the competition for any reason whatsoever including but not limited to poor weather conditions, instruction from authorities, safety threat etc.

3.   Competition Registration & Briefing

i.      16:00 - 17:00hr -  Marshal Final Briefing

ii.      17:00 - 18:00hr -  Captain Final Briefing

iii.      20:00 - 21:30hr -  Event Briefing for participants

4.   Fishing Time: a two-day fishing competition on Sept 9 & 10th, 2023

a.   1st Day: Event Launching and Flag-Off by our special guest will be done on Saturday morning at 7:30am at Rompin Cargo Jetty.  Boats shall depart at 8:15 am and return to the same jetty at 5 pm (Saturday). Breakfast will be provided for participants at the jetty.

b.  2nd Day: On Sunday, Flag-Off is scheduled at 8 am and must return by 4 pm. Catches of participants who come in late on both days, will NOT be considered. However, late arrivals due to technical reasons will be given due consideration. 

5.   Weather Condition: The Organizing Committee may move or cancel any tournament fishing day if, in their judgment, unsafe conditions may exist at sea. If rough weather conditions exist and the tournament committee takes the decision to allow the participating boats to fish, the final decision to fish will be based solely on the judgment of the crew of each participating boat, keeping in mind the level of seaworthiness of their fishing vessel. All attempts will be made to fish as many days as possible, but as little as one day of fishing or any part thereof constitutes a complete tournament. If a scheduled day of fishing must be cancelled, Monday 11th September, 2023 automatically becomes a fishing day. 

6.   Fishing Team:  The RPBIC is open only to those who have registered with the Organizing Committee or such committee as may be formed by the Organizing Committee.

7.   Fishing Boat:  Participants are responsible to make their own arrangement for fishing boats and crew prior to the competition.  Organizer shall assist participants who need help to get fishing boat for their team whenever possible.  All fishing boat to be used for the RPBIC must be registered and licensed by Malaysia Marine Department (Jabatan Laut Malaysia) and provide their information to the Organizer or their representative latest by 17:00hr of the first day of competition (8th September)

8.   Fishing Equipment: Each participant or team must bring their own fishing equipment (maximum two fishing rods per members).

9.   Fishing Area: Fishing will be in the area stated (refer map appendix waters) as directed by the Fisheries Department within 50km radius from Kuala Rompin.  Please refer Figure 1.0

10.  Fishing Jetty: Boats will depart from and return to Rompin Cargo Jetty or any other jetty designated by the Organizer.

11.   Team’s Marshal: All Fishing Team will be fishing in the same boat over the two days period of the competition. Competition marshal shall be randomly assigned to each boat before Flag-Off by the Organizer.  The main responsibility of marshal is to record registered team members' catches for score calculation.  They shall also be looking after boat & personnel safety, and marine conservation.

a.   The information for each billfish caught will be recorded by the marshal after the fish is properly tagged. i.e. date, time, type of fish, tag number including note for fish that escaped

b.   The marshal is also responsible to ensure the fish is released within 2 minutes.

c.   The marshal and team must report to the secretariat upon returning to the jetty and submit their log book to the secretariat.  The marshal will need to update the tag data automatically into the official fish tagging apps - 'Fish n Tag' cloud database.

12.   Fishing Method: The only fishing methods allowed are: by deferral (trolling), drift (drifting), balloon float (floating) and throwing (casting). Participants who fish by methods other than those specified, will be disqualified. All participants are advised to behave positively, compromise and be considerate towards each other in order to avoid any animosity.  Participants are permitted to  

a.   Use mono line or braided line not exceeding 130 pound. 

b.   The use of leader line however is discretionary. 

c.   Install circle hook for using lure or live bait. 

d.   Use lures but with one hook (single hook). 

e.   Use compulsory skirt but with one hook (single hook). 

f.       The use of any other hook for skirts, is prohibited.  

13.   Landing Billfish: From the time that a fish strikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight, and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person, except as provided in these regulations.

a.   If a rod holder is used, once the fish is hooked, the angler must remove the rod from the rod holder as quickly as possible.

b.   In the event of a multiple strike on separate lines being fished by a single angler, only the first fish fought by the angler will be considered for a world record.

c.   If a double line is used, the intent of the regulations is that the fish will be fought on the single line most of the time that it takes to land the fish.

d.   A harness may be attached to the reel or rod, but not to the fighting chair. The harness may be replaced or adjusted by a person other than the angler.

e.   Use of a rod belt or waist gimbal is permitted.

f.        When angling from a boat, once the leader is brought within the grasp of the mate, or the end of the leader is wound to the rod tip, more than one person is permitted to hold the leader. Anyone assisting a shore-bound or wading angler must be within a rods length of the angler before touching the leader.

14.   Catch, Tag & Release (CTR): The competition is only for catches of sailfish and marlin based on the concept of catch, tag and release. Other species of fish caught can be brought back except any species of sharks, which must be released. Participants who bring back their catches of billfish to the jetty will be disqualified. Participants must tag each fish caught in order to qualify for score calculation.

a.   The tagging process will be using ‘Fish n Tag’ (FnT) mobile application which will update tagging data into FnT cloud database.

b.   The tagging will be done by participants with help from boat crew. 

c.   The marshal assigned to the participating fishing boat shall be responsible to record CTR information into FnT app which will be used for team score calculation. 

d.  There 4 simple steps required to complete the tagging – 1) Identify and Update Tag ID into FnT app, 2) Prepare Tag & needle, 3) Tag your catch, 4) Take photo and submit

15.   Competition Scoring & Result: The winner will be determined based on individuals and teams with the highest cumulative points. Catches of other species of fishes will be recorded but shall not contribute to team's score.  Each sailfish will be rewarded 600 points and 1,000 points for marlin.

a.   Fish will be considered as caught and released when: 

i.      Team member or boatman/skipper manages to hold the fish’s beak; and,

ii.      The team tag the fish according to the tagging procedure

iii.      Picture of the tagged fish being held at its beak and participant’s tag must be recorded.

b.   Each team can submit any amount of catches for the Team Category but the same fish owned by the individual is not eligible to be nominated for the Team Category.  

c.   600 points will be deducted from the team total and/or individual for actions that may cause other teams or individuals to lose their catch. (example: boat violates or cuts fishing line or disrupts other participants.) 

d.  For the avoidance of doubt, the requirements above must be fulfilled conjunctively. 

16.   Protest Official Result: All protests must be accompanied by supporting evidence and can be submitted to the Regulation Panel as may be formed by the Organizer.  Each protest must be submitted on the day of the incident protested against whereupon a deposit of RM500 for each protest is required before the official counter is closed for the day. The protest fee is not refundable if the allegation is determined to have been false or unfounded. A panel of three judges will determine all decisions whereupon the panel decision shall be final. In the event of a tie in points awarded in either the team or individual, the winner will be decided by the earliest time recorded of the catch. 

17.   Prizes Giving & Competition Dinner: The prize presentation ceremony and Victory Dinner will be held at 8 pm, 10th August 2023 (Sunday).  The prizes for winners shall comprise of cash, fishing equipment, accessories and other products as stated but not limited to items below.  The organising committee is committed to honour the prizes as stated but it has every right to add, reduce, change, replace or amend the prizes without prior notices as deemed necessary.

a.   Cash Prizes:

i.      The Champion: RM20,000

ii.      2nd PlaceRM14,000

iii.     3rd PlaceRM10,000

iv.     4th PlaceRM  6,000

v.      5th PlaceRM  5,000

vi.     6th PlaceRM  3,000

vii.    7th PlaceRM  2,000

viii.   Other prizes for the winners shall include

viii.   trophy, fishing equipment, certificates

b.  Event organizer may include additional for winners i.e. boats, captain, marshal etc

18.   Indemnity: The participating individual hereby agrees to indemnify and irrevocably and forever release and waive all rights and recourse that may be available against the Organiser and its holding company, subsidiaries, licensees, successors, related and affiliated companies and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, licensees, agents, representatives and assigns, from and against any and all claims, demands, payments, proceedings, judgments, settlements, awards, expenses (including without limitation, legal fees and costs) damages, losses, costs, injury (however caused), death, illness, delay or other liabilities, which the participating individual or their heirs, executors, administrators or personal representatives may now have or hereafter can, shall or may have against any of the above-named entities arising in connection with and for any reason whatsoever that may be related to the RPBIC. 

 

From IGFA Fishing Equipment Guidelines:

LINE & BACKING


DOUBLE LINE

The use of a double line is not required. If one is used, it must meet the following specifications:


REEL


LEADER


ROD


HOOKS & LURES


HOOKS FOR BAIT FISHING

Figure 1.0

Designated Fishing Area

Figure 2.0

Non-offset Circle Hook