INTRODUCING THE HAWAII REGIONAL TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION!

Photo Courtesy of Brian Toney The Hawaiian Islands are undoubtedly a special place for many reasons. In the eyes of many anglers, it is unique for being the only place in the world where a grander marlin has been caught during every month of the year. After the success of TBF’s regional competitions in the Gulf of Mexico and South Florida, TBF has created the Hawaiian Tag & Release Regional Competition to recognize the great fishing, captains, anglers and crews who fish there. It couldn’t come at a moment sooner after one of the best billfish seasons on record

INTRODUCING THE CAPE VERDE REGIONAL TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION

Courtesy of the Big Oh For the past several years, winners of TBF’s International Tag & Release Competition blue marlin categories have all come out of Cape Verde and it is certainly one of the top places in the Atlantic Ocean to catch one of its top predators. Each year this small chain of islands off the west coast of Africa draw some of the biggest and best names in the sportfishing arena. The number of blue marlin and their sizes in Cape Verde make it a special place, a great fishery and an important place for

2016 TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION UPDATE

Just when it seems that the excitement from last year’s Tag & Release Award Ceremony has begun to wind down, we’ve started ramping up for the 2016 competition. This year we will be debuting a few exciting new things for captains and crews, so keep checking in at http://www.billfish.org/competition for official rules and announcements coming soon! Every year, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) recognizes the captains, mates and anglers (including youth and ladies) who tag and release the most billfish in each of the world’s oceans. The competition is categorized by billfish species, ocean, and whether the fish were tagged or released

The Billfish Foundation’s International Tag & Release Awards – 2015 Award Winners

Anglers, captains and mates worldwide are the vital elements needed to provide The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Tag and Release program the valuable data required to further billfish science and ensure that fishing opportunities are available for future generations. Without the dedication of these individuals from around the world, what is known about billfish science and the advances in conservation would not be possible today. Since 1990, TBF has received more than 220,000 billfish tag and release records from anglers and captains around the world. Records are entered into TBF’s Tag & Release Online Database, which has gained in popularity

TBF TAG & RELEASE CEREMONY RECAP

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL- Anglers, captains and mates worldwide are the vital elements needed to provide The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Tag and Release program the valuable data required to further billfish science and ensure that fishing opportunities are available for future generations. Without the dedication of these individuals from around the world, what is known about billfish science and the advances in conservation would not be possible today. Since 1990, TBF has received more than 220,000 billfish tag and release records from anglers and captains around the world. Records are entered into TBF’s Tag & Release Online Database, which has

COSTA, YETI AND TBF TAGGING TRIP TO ISLA MUJERES

Being a part of the sportfishing community and having an opportunities to work alongside our Tag & Release Program sponsors as well as captains and anglers, to put our initiatives to practice is not only fun but vital to our mission for billfish conservation. This past January, YETI Coolers, Costa Sunglasses, and TBF staff joined TBF board member, Capt. Fin Gaddy on the Qualifier in Isla Mujeres for a few days to build on and promote the future of billfish conservation. Oliver Rogers Photography If you are unfamiliar, Isla Mujeres, Mexico is one of the best places in the world

30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR DEDICATED TO TODAY’S YOUTH

Anniversary Year Dedicated to Today’s Youth …Our Legacy must be a Billfishing Future for Them! TBF’s Herbert Nanne, Central American Conservation Director, worked tirelessly for three years to have the government of Costa Rica sign off on a law that ALLOWS minors to fish! Can you believe what you just read? Yes, it is true. Why such a nonsensical law was ever on the books is hard to imagine, but no longer. The timing was perfect for it coincides with TBF’s 30th Anniversary year, which is dedicated to young anglers with a commitment from today’s adults to insure

A SNAPSHOT OF THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION’S FIRST 30 YEARS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE NEXT 30!

If you fished offshore 30 years ago you likely remember seeing at tournaments billfish, especially blue marlin, stacked in piles on the docks after anglers posed for photos with their prized dead fish. That was the norm. At the same time, U.S. commercial fishing vessels brought billfish to the docks and sold them. Today the images are very different with release flags flying in most tournaments and U.S. commercial vessels fishing for Atlantic tunas prohibited from selling billfish. Thanks to you – anglers, boat owners, captains and mates along with Win Rockefeller and  scientist Dr. Eric Prince – who

NICK MAYER – TBF’S 2016 ARTIST OF THE YEAR

We at TBF are proud to present Nick Mayer as our 2016 Artist of the Year. This year marks The Billfish Foundation’s 30th Anniversary, so we wanted a unique work of art to commemorate this milestone. Nick’s beautiful painting, Billfish Slam is featured on the cover of this issue of Billfish. Members joining or renewing for $250 or more will receive a personally signed and numbered edition of Billfish Slam. Each print presented to TBF Chairman’s Club members will also include a beautiful hand-painted remarque. The son of an artist and a biologist, Nick Mayer has the best

TBF WELCOMES MARINA CASA DE CAMPO AS A NEW TAG & RELEASE INDUSTRY SPONSOR!

The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is extremely excited to announce and welcome aboard the Marina Casa de Campo as a new Tag & Release Industry sponsor. Located in the beautiful Dominican Republic, and conveniently close to La Romana International airport, the marina has every service needed for incoming ships and visitors offering a lifestyle of elegance, prestige, luxury, safety and warmth. This location has a premier offshore bite, especially for blue marlin, where it is possible to encounter up to double digits in one day. The 2014 Fishing Season was a blast – closing with an average of 8 billfish released per day.  With the numbers of marlin