TBF’s 2022 Artist of the Year
For over 40 years of my life, I never considered myself an artist. I didn’t take art classes, grab a pencil and paper and sketch didn’t paint or want to until I learned about Gyotaku (fish printing). Moving to Maui, Hawaii 30 years ago introduced me to fish printing and had a profound effect on me. My love for the ocean and its creatures has been with me since I can remember. I grew up surfing in Southern California and oddly enough didn’t do much fishing, but I’ve always needed to be near the ocean. It took over
Exempted Fishing Permits for East Coast Deep-Set Buoy Gear
NMFS issued 7 Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for vessels to fish for BAYS tunas (bigeye, yellowfin albacore, skipjack) and swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic East Coast. Six vessels are part of the Deepwater Horizon Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project; using funds from Gulf Restoration, oil spill settlement. The 6 vessels fishing only in the Gulf are pelagic longline vessels that voluntarily do not fish for 6 months a year because they are paid from Restoration funds. Gear options include deep-set buoy gear or greenstick gear. The vessel that also fishes off Florida’s East
TBF’s Atlantic Shark Depredation Campaign
No balance currently exists between the hugely successful Atlantic shark conservation and management of Atlantic shark fisheries – people fishing, jobs, food markets, experiences, and economics. Balance is needed. Shark depredation of angler-hooked fish from all platforms is occurring at unseen rates. Sharks damage gear, ruins fishing experiences, and causes negative economic impacts to the fishery and associated services. It is no longer safe to swim between boats, as sometimes needed for a crew member to help with a companion vessel’s problem. Shark depredation will lessen only when fewer sharks remain in the water, which can be achieved
Atlantic Save the Mahi-Mahi Campaign
Led by Blair Wickstrom of Florida Sportsmans Magazine, targets the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (FMC) and NOAA, and calls for, by anglers, greater conservation restraints for mahi-mahi and wahoo, species that support South Florida’s sportfishing industry. Without further constraints, it is feared the stock may collapse. The Campaign calls for further reductions in mahi-mahi (dolphin fish) and wahoo bag limits from what was approved recently in Amendment 10. If final approval is given by the Secretary of Commerce to Amendment 10, it leaves the 10 mahi-mahi per person limit in place but drops the vessel limit from 60
TBF’s Atlantic Shark Fishery Comments
The Billfish Foundation submitted comments to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today on the Draft Review of Atlantic Shark Fishery Review (SHARE) urging the revitalization of the Atlantic shark fishery and market. This 217-page reference document recounts past and present management actions responsible for the status of today’s U.S. Atlantic shark fishery. This document may be used to develop future conservation and management measures for commercial and recreational shark fisheries for the 43 currently managed and after review, we feel that without significant changes to the document we at are not supportive of it for future management actions
Announcing the 2021 Tag & Release Award Winners
Each year The Billfish Foundation recognizes the best of the best in the billfishing community to acknowledge the significant effort they contribute to our Tag & Release Program and billfish conservation. Since its inception in 1990, the program has accrued over 270,000 tag and release records, becoming the largest private billfish tagging database in the world. In the last year alone, TBF has collected over 7,500 records! The information gathered through tag and release efforts are invaluable to increase our understanding and better our management of billfish and preserve the sport we love. This is only possible through the efforts
A Fish Conservation Business Opportunity Available
King Sailfish Mounts began nearly 30 years ago allowing sportsmen have a beautiful fish mount while knowing that they didn’t need to kill their trophy fish for it. Before King Sailfish Mounts, nearly all marine gamefish mounted were based on a dead fish. It turned out to have been a good opportunity both for the business and the resource. Now the majority of all marine fish mounts are based on a release. Since then, KSM has been credited for coining the phrase “Release Mounts” and is considered one of the most influential companies in its industry. They have
Aquaculture Atlases Issued
In support of Executive Order (EO) 13921, which calls for Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, in May 2020, NOAA just issued two extensive tools that may be used to identify preliminary Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. One, “An Aquaculture Opportunity Area Atlas for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico” and the second one for the “Southern California Bite.” Completing and disseminating the Atlas is just one step of many in the early stages of a process that will eventually approve and site aquaculture sites in federal waters. Stay up-to-date on this and other related news by signing up for TBF’s newsletter
Workshop on December 7th regarding Offshore wind project impact
Input requested from anglers regarding potential impacts from offshore wind projects The Billfish Foundation just received word that The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is hosting the only workshop on December 7th at 10 am EST to understand and develop guidance to mitigate potential impacts from offshore wind projects on recreational fishing. They want to get insight and knowledge from the people and organizations that know and use these areas. Be sure to register since this will be one of your only chances to talk about this topic with the BOEM. Follow this link to Register for the workshop
Atlantic Mahi Mahi and Wahoo – Amendment 10
Anglers remain steadfast in objecting to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (SAFMC) approval of Amendment 10 as written. The amendment is now with the Secretary of Commerce for final approval is yet to be approved. Anglers and charter captains insist more is needed to ensure the two species will remain available for sportfishing, which are the backbone of the fishery. If the amendment isn’t modified to reduce the daily recreational bag and vessel limits (from 54 fish) and no approval of a commercial landing limit is included, many fear the stocks will collapse in a few years
