Gone Fishing - American Philatelic Society

Gone Fishing!Salt Water FishFish: Atlantic CodRenowned for its flaky white meatand the use of its liver to make thehealthful, if noxious tasting, cod liveroil, cod is second only to herring inimportance in commercial fishing.Its native range is the Atlantic watersfrom western Greenland south toabout Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.Cod can live for 20 years and reach amaximum size of about 50 inches inlength and a weight between 55–77pounds. But despite its remarkablereproduction rate (a large femalewill lay 9 million eggs in a singlespawning), overfishing has led to adramatic decline in numbers in recentyears and some populations maynever recover.Fish: Bluefin TunaOne of the most highly evolved fishspecies, the flavorful bluefin tuna isalso one of the most expensive fishto be found in the Atlantic Ocean —recently a 754-pound bluefin soldfor $396,700 in Tokyo’s main fishmarket. It is the largest member ofthe Sombridae family, with an averageweight of 550–1,500 pounds, althoughthe largest fish have become quiterare. The bluefin is highly migratory,swimming long distances and capableof diving to a depth of 3,000 feet. Itis also one of fastest fishes, able toachieve speeds of up to 43 miles perhour. A rarity among fish, the bluefinis actually warm-blooded, and sois comfortable living at a range oftemperatures, from the cold watersoff Newfoundland to the warmwaters of the Gulf of Mexico and theMediterranean Sea.Republic of PalauThe Republic of Palau (traditionalname Belau) is an island nation about435 miles east of the Philippines.Once part of the U.N. Trust Territoryof the Pacific Islands, Palau votedfor complete independence in 1978rather than join the Federated Statesof Micronesia. In 1993 it entered intoa Compact of Free Association withthe United States. With its cluster of20 large and 566 small islands, Palauis a diver’s paradise. Pictured on thestamp is the national flag and severalmarine species. Easily identifiableare the raccoon butterfly fish and theconch shell, but the red-orange fishis less easy to name. It looks like amixture of several species; or perhapsit’s just artistic license.Flags of Our Nation: GuamAs close to an ideal tropical islandparadise as it gets, Guam is a leadingtourist destination in the westernPacific. Following the end of WorldWar II it became an unincorporatedterritory of the United States, whichmaintains a strong naval presenceon the island. The territory’s mottois: “Where America’s Day Begins.”The stamp features the Guam flag,a majestic frigate bird, and a mixedschool of brightly colored reef fish.