A leading conservation group has joined the chorus of voices from around the world condemning the actions which saw a 400kg black marlin bought to shore on Tuesday.

Tangaroa Blue's Heidi Taylor questioned the practice of big game fishing.

"We don't agree with big game fishing and I'm not surprised there has been negative thoughts about something like that being caught.

"While I know there is an industry and people make their livelihood out of game fishing, we need to get serious about trying to protect what's there.

"I'd like to see the statistics of how many fish survive tag and release...if they've got a high survival rate then that's good, if not then it's pointless.

"What is the success rate of a fish that's been tagged, that's been fighting on a line for five hours and then released, what is the actual of chance that animal surviving?"

According to Lizard Island Game Fish Club president, Bob Lowe, who is overseeing the 26th Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic tournament next week, that survival rate is 99 per cent.

"We use tags in Australia which are provided by New South Wales State Fisheries, we use them all over Australia.

"In addition to that at my tournament at Lizard Island we're using satellite tags, they're $5000 each.

"The satellite tags are set to come off the fish in 120 days and they float to the surface.

"We retrieve the information from the satellite which tells us what the fish was doing during that period, where it was caught, and where the tag came off it."

Mr Lowe said one tag recorded a fish travelling 2,460 nautical miles (4,555 kilometres) during the tagged period last year, and added the practise of tagging helped with "stock management."

"About ten years ago I forced the Australian Government to make it mandatory for all commercial fishermen to release all blue and striped marlin in the Australian fishing zone.

"Our tagging information was showing they (their populations) were declining, and we still want that to happen with the striped marlin but that's on ongoing fight.

"Since then the stocks of blue and black marlin have regenerated."

Mr Lowe rejected claims that big game fishing was an irresponsible sport, saying that his tournament has taken the step of not weighing any catch, preferring to simply tag and release.

"All of us in the sport are very conscious of releasing the fish in a healthy condition, and it's not unknown for crews to stay with the fish, looking after it, swimming it, and getting oxygenation through the gill plates for up to two hours in the odd one which has come up a bit distressed."

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