Private: Policies

Interested in seeing what causes TBF is currently fighting for? Click here to see what management efforts are affecting our community and what you can do to help.

TAKE ACTION

If you resonate with any of TBF’s efforts or policies, learn how you can make your voice be heard.

Ways to Help

Our success would not be possible without the support of our community. Review the ways you can support our efforts.

CURRENT POLICIES

Fighting for the rights of the recreational sport fishing community can be a tireless effort, but it’s an ever-evolving mission that we’re beyond committed to!

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The Billfish Foundation

Advocacy

TBF prides itself in being the voices for recreational anglers. Using our platform, we are consistently contacting our representatives, traveling to governmental panels and conferences, and using your reported data to fight for the rights of the recreational sportfishing industry. If you’re looking for ways to help support anglers, TBF, or billfish conservation, check out the links below.

The Billfish Foundation

Advocacy

TBF prides itself in being the voices for recreational anglers. Using our platform, we are consistently contacting our representatives, traveling to governmental panels and conferences, and using your reported data to fight for the rights of the recreational sportfishing industry. If you’re looking for ways to help support anglers, TBF, or billfish conservation, check out the links below.

TAKE ACTION

Here’s your chance to get involved! Let’s work together to make sure your voices are heard! Here’s how to do it.

1

CONNECT WITH AN ISSUE

Click here to review some of the current domestic and international issues affecting the angling community.

2

FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Learn who your local spokesperson is surrounding the topics you’re passionate about.

3

CONTACT THEM

Now, it’s easier than ever to connect with a local representative. Click here to learn what to do!

Current Issues

Learn more about what’s making an impact on our community

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Advocacy News

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Just two days after the Harpoon category closure, NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Department has announced the closure of the General category for Atlantic bluefin tuna. As of 11:30pm on…
NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Department announced today the closure of the Harpoon category for Atlantic bluefin tuna due to the 91 metric ton quota being met. This closure comes…
Fifteen metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota was transferred from the Reserve Category to the Harpoon Category, bringing the total tonnage for the category to 91 metric tons and…
The first action plan from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a proposed Amendment 13 for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna that included a tremendous array of options to modify how Atlantic…
NMFS proposes to modify the one-month closed zone off New Jersey and the spring two-month gear restricted area in the Gulf of Mexico to become Monitoring Zones with an annual…
Amendment 13 to the Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan proposes many options striving to maximize utilization of the U.S. bluefin quota.  Half of the options propose changes to the…
The National Marine Fisheries Service is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category daily retention limit from three large medium or giant BFT per vessel per day/trip to ONE…
The U.S. pelagic longline closed zones and gear restricted areas were established to reduce bycatch of juvenile swordfish by protecting nursery grounds, overfished marlin, sailfish, which remain overfished, large coastal…
NOAA Fisheries just announced an inseason change to the Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limits in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions, as shown in the table…
Exempted Fishing Permits were issued by the Pacific Fishery Management Council on April 29, 2019 to two vessels to fish off the U.S. west coast in federal waters (Exclusive Economic Zone)…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently released an Options Paper to amend the current Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) strategy, implemented to reduce incidental bycatch of bluefin, in the pelagic…
NEEDS ALL ANGLERS ATTENTION – The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched a new and very comprehensive process for evaluating the success or inefficiencies of current Pelagic Longline Closed Zones…
NOAA just released the 1st quarter landing update for the recreational fishing community. While only 1 blue marlin has been landed in the 1st quarter, we expect the number of…
NOAA Fisheries has determined that the subquota of 1.8 mt for the Angling category Gulf of Mexico trophy bluefin tuna fishery has been reached. Trophy bluefin are those measuring 73…
The Billfish Foundation submitted our comments to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider Bullet Tunas, Auxis rochei, and similar Frigate Mackerel, Auxis thazard to the dolphin/wahoo fishery management plan…
NOAA Fisheries is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category…
EPA & Corp Proposal to Repeal Clean Water Rule – Anglers & Hunters Oppose The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Corps of…
Saltwater ecosystem dynamics include not just the marine habitat, but also the creatures, overfishing, predator/prey interaction, pollution, temperature changes, etc.  Yet the primary fishery management law of the U.S., the…
TBF joined many other recreational fishing organizations in calling on House Subcommittee on Energy and Water to approve $210 million dollars for the Army Corps of Engineers in support of…
The table below provides the total number of billfish (January 1, 2018, through, December 31, 2018) landings in numbers of fish for Atlantic blue and white marlin, roundscale spearfish, and…
NOAA Fisheries determined that the Angling category southern area “trophy” bluefin tuna (measuring 73 inches or greater) subquota of 1.8 mt had been reached and exceeded and therefore closure of…
The Proposed Okaloosa County (north central Gulf of Mexico) recreational fishing Buoy/Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) System was approved as a means to improve catches of billfish and other species. The…
The Billfish Foundation recently submitted comments again to The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council regarding the future management of a dolphin (mahi mahi) and wahoo fishery. The Amendment looks to…

Media Submission

Do You Have Billfish Photos?

If you’d like to see your photos spotlighted in one of TBF’s publications or online via social media, then send them our way! We are always looking for high resolution photos of billfish in the water or jumping. Click below for more information on how to submit your pictures. 

TBF Events

Ways to Get Involved

Get involved in ocean advocacy through The Billfish Foundation’s Galas, Tournaments, and Ceremonies. As we continue our mission, we welcome donors and sponsors to join us, offering opportunities for recognition and impact.

Tournaments

TBF travels to dozens of sportfishing tournaments each year to support partners, fundraise on behalf of TBF, and educate anglers on the benefits of billfish tag and release.

Galas

TBF uses our annual gala to fundraise, to celebrate another successful year of billfish conservation, and to praise the efforts our incredible community.

Ceremonies

TBF’s Annual Tag and Release Award Ceremony is held annually in February to celebrate and recognize the captains, anglers, and mates who led the way in billfish conservation that year.

Interested in learning more?

TBF collects and utilizes data for advancing responsible fisheries management and billfish conservation, highlighting the importance of the recreational fishing community.
Our billfish successes today are only possible with partner support. Click here to see who they are and how you can help support them!
TBF fosters strong billfish conservation ethics, helping anglers of all generations understand the importance of the recreational sportfishing industry and billfish