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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The Billfish Foundation objects to the goal of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to revitalize the pelagic longline (PLL) fishery.  Instead, TBF is calling for options that continue to…
Last year’s halting of the federally permitted longline research inside a zone closed to the gear for 16 years off Florida’s east coast was a positive step for conservation and…
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) considered over 600 written comments and heard public testimony last week, before voting to send a letter to NOAA Fisheries expressing their concerns…
The National Marine Fisheries Service transferred 10 metric tons (2,2046 pounds) of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the Reserve category to the General January sub-category, until that quota is landed…
Note: the SAFMC public comment period ended on the day of the meeting, March 7, 2018. More comment periods will be coming, stay up to date by subscribing to our…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) finally announced as “invalid” the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) issued last year to a Nova Southeastern University (NSU) scientist granting permission to longline within…
Preliminary National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) statistics comparing Atlantic bluefin tuna landings in December 2017 to December 2016 indicate more fish were landed in 2017, but smaller in size and…
Recent images from the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago have again brought attention to the plight of billfish in the Caribbean. The photos show over a dozen billfish that…
NOVA Southeastern University Scientist and assistant professor, David W. Kerstetter, who received a federal Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) in 2017 to conduct longline research in Florida’s east coast closed zone,…
We all want that epic photo. Whether it’s the most beautiful bonefish you’ve ever reeled in, a tasty grouper you’ve pulled up from the reef, and especially the mighty sailfish…
The Southeast Permits Office of NOAA Fisheries is reminding permit holders that all limited access permits must be renewed by the termination date printed on the front of the permit.…
Beginning January 5, 2018, NOAA Fisheries will require vessels with Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permits to also obtain a “commercial sale” endorsement in order to sell any catch of…
The National Marine Fisheries Service has decided to close the General category fishery for large, medium, and giant Atlantic bluefin tuna for the rest of the year. The closure takes…
The Atlantic bluefin tuna General fishery will reopen December 1 for the first time since early October, thanks to a transfer of quota. NOAA Fisheries is transferring 25.6 mt from…
More than 700 delegates from 47 member nations met in Marrakesh last week for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to discuss management strategies for several…
It was during the slow, hot days of a south Florida summer that The Billfish Foundation and Waterlust hatched a plan to boost each of their marine conservation efforts. The…
NOAA Fisheries recently released an updated estimate of recreational billfish landings in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as commercial and recreational landings of swordfish, thus far in 2017. From January…
Team members from The Billfish Foundation joined in the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute conference held in Merida, Mexico last week. It was the 70th anniversary of the conference, where…
Humans have known for centuries that fish are attracted to floating objects. Fishermen have taken advantage of this behavior by fishing around palm fronds, seaweed patches, and any debris that…
Following the wrath of Hurricane Irma came the destruction: downed trees, debris thrown across roadways, docks uplifted from their posts, boats sunken or tossed on land, and in some cases…
The Atlantic bluefin tuna General category fishery for large-medium and giant bluefin tuna closes Thursday October 5, 2017 for roughly two months. This comes just four days after the October…
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (and other highly migratory species, HMS) convened mid-September in Madrid, Spain specifically to discuss management of tropical tunas followed by the…
TBF thanks its constituents for their continued support in keeping this issue at the forefront. Join the TBF community today to be part of our efforts on matters like
Bags of trash collected during Miami Seaquarium’s beach cleanup to commemorate their 62nd anniversary The Billfish Foundation strives to support its local south Florida community and partners with like-minded organizations…

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