DEBATE ON BILLFISH CONSERVATION ACT
The 2012 Billfish Conservation Act (BCA) has yet to be implemented and again is under Congressional review to attempt to resolve debated language so no Pacific billfish can be imported into the continental U.S. The BCA language in question follows. Sec. 2 – Findings Congress finds the following: Subsection (3) – “Ending the importation of foreign-caught billfish for sale in the United States aligns with U.S. management measures of billfish and protects significant economic benefits to the U.S. economy of recreational fishing and marine commerce and the traditional cultural fisheries.” Was the legislative intent in (3) to stop importation and sale of only foreign-caught
UPDATE ON LONGLINES IN FLORIDA’S EAST COAST CLOSED ZONE
The NMFS has extended the deadline to March 29, 2017 for accepting public comments on the application for an Exempted Fishing Permit. If approved, six pelagic longline vessels will fish for three years in Florida’s East Coast Closed Zone. Email your comments to nmfs.hms.pllefp@noaa.gov. A webinar on the subject is scheduled for March 27, 2017 between 1 – 4 pm (EST) to facilitate public comments from across the U.S. commercial Atlantic Pelagic Longline fishery. Join the webinar here. TBF’s submitted comments are posted here with a draft letter you may draw from to write your comments. Help TBF fight this direct threat by submitting your letter
The Billfish Foundation’s International Tag & Release Awards – 2016 Award Winners
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CALL TO ACTION: NO LONGLINES IN CLOSED ZONE
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern University, to authorize a research project using 6 longline boats within Florida’s East Coast Longline Closed Zone. The project proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the 16 year closure by comparing fishing results in the closed waters to results in open waters. Fish caught during the research period would be sold to offset expenses. The zone was closed in 2001 to protect juvenile swordfish primarily and other species taken
Call to Action: No Longlines In Closed Zone
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern University, to authorize a research project using 6 longline boats within Florida’s East Coast Longline Closed Zone. The project proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the 16 year closure by comparing fishing results in the closed waters to results in open waters. Fish caught during the research period would be sold to offset expenses. The zone was closed in 2001 to protect juvenile swordfish primarily and other species taken
THE CARIBBEAN BILLFISH PROJECT – GOOD FISHERIES MANAGEMENT?
The Caribbean Billfish Project, a $1.95 million exercise supported by the UN and the World Bank, and executed by the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC) in Barbados, proposes a ” rights-based” billfish management strategy for commercial, recreational and coastal fishers. “Rights-based” strategies limit fishing access and allocations through a variety of tools, including licenses, marine reserves, fishery-wide quotas based on catches not landings, stakeholder group administration, cooperatives and payment of fees (rents), etc. One published paper from the Project provides “enough value exists in the recreational fisheries sector to compensate losses in the commercial fisheries sector.” This transfer
TBF’S TAGGING PROGRAM HERALDED
A recently released analysis of the NMFS Cooperative Tagging Program between January 2006 and December 2015 by Caitlyn Savoia, a graduate student at the University of Miami, documented that during those years the Program received the lowest number of tagged and recaptured reports, which collect valuable scientific data.” The author lauded the work of TBF’s implementation of its self-entry on-line database for tagged, released and recaptured billfish as well as the outreach done to further engage the sportfishing community. She applauds TBF’s Tag & Release system for including interactive features that improve efficiency, transparency while making the entry, retrieving
TBF WELCOMES 20ECHO AS A TAG & RELEASE PROGRAM SPONSOR!
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) proudly announces that 20echo is its newest Tag and Release Program sponsor, joining Casa Vieja Lodge, Costa Sunglasses, Garmin, King Sailfish Mounts, Pelagic Gear, and Yeti in support of the scientific data collecting program. Begun in 1990, the Program has produced the world’s largest private billfish tagging data resource, which is the organization’s cornerstone science project that shares angler-generated data with scientists to improve billfish science. TBF’s partnership with 20echo.com will bolster data collect for years to come by giving anglers a fast, on board means to capture weather, oceanic and fish data at the exact spot of a billfish tag, release
2016 TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION WINNERS
The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Tag and Release Award winners, the “who’s who” in the billfishing world will be honored during the International Tag and Release Awards Ceremony at Miami’s Jungle Island on February 17, 2017. Earning one of the prestigious awards, produced and donated by King Sailfish Mounts, symbolizes a year of hard work, great fishing and/or boat and fish handling skills plus a commitment to a future with billfishing. Leaders in the sportfishing industry sponsor the Tag and Release Program and Ceremony and include Costa Sunglasses, PELAGIC Gear, Casa Vieja Lodge, Garmin Inc., YETI Coolers, Marina Casa de Campo, International Game Fish Tournament
TBF SUBMITS COMMENTS ON AMENDMENT 5B – DUSKY SHARKS
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) recently submitted comments to the proposed regulations included in Amendment 5b to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan – regarding the reduction of dusky shark mortality. Learn why the current preferred measures for recreational fishing as written will have direct, and significant, negative impacts on non-shark recreational fisheries. Read our comments
