YETI COOLER JOINS AS NEWEST TAG & RELEASE SPONSOR
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is extremely excited to announce and welcome aboard YETI Coolers as a new Tag & Release Program sponsor. A leader in the outdoor recreational industry, YETI joins other top businesses in the sportfishing community as a Tag & Release sponsor including Costa Sunglasses, Pelagic Gear, King Sailfish Mounts, Casa Vieja Lodge, and Bisbee’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund. The passion and appreciation for the outdoors is something YETI founders, Roy and Ryan Seiders have incorporated into their company. YETI clearly understands the importance of giving back to conservation efforts and TBF is one of many
Congressional Review of Atlantic Shark Depredation
Daily reports and postings of angler-caught fish bitten into or taken whole by sharks, known as depredation, painfully and clearly demonstrates the result of one-sided management, which has produced excessive numbers of sharks off the East, the Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts. The angler-hooked species taken by sharks range from sheepshead to marlin and […]
Robust Debate & Marine Closures
This past June, Biscayne National Park released its new General Management Plan (GMP) to guide actions over the next 20 years in preserving and protecting the shallow water coral reef ecosystem (only living barrier coral reef system in Continental U.S.), mangrove forest, water bird colonies, fish populations and cultural sites all to insure a high quality visitor experience. (In 2014, the park’s visitor count was 525,714.) The Plan includes, among many actions, one to close over 10,000) acres (5-6% of whole Park) to anglers and commercial fishing in waters of Biscayne Bay in south Florida. Closing out anglers
PANAMA’S SPORTFISHING ECO-TOURISM TRADE COULD BE HURT
Regrettably, the recent La Presna article dated August 16, 2015 that quotes Ivan Flores, Manager of the Aquatic Resources and Fisheries Authority (ARAP), did not focus on the sustainable use of and positive economic returns to Panama generated from its sportfishing eco-tourism trade, which is predominantly a catch and release fishery for highly migratory fish (marlin, sailfish, tunas). Instead, the article attempted to justify restraints on the nation’s lucrative sportfishing eco-tourism trade, based on the stated need “to minimize harm it [sportfishing] causes to the marine biology,” without defining or elaborating on what that means – fish, water quality
TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION UPDATE 8/25/15
Photo Courtesy of Big OH & Camila Sanches
Tag & Release cards are really starting to come in and TBF’s annual Tag and Release Competition is heating up with less than 3 months to go! The “Top Five” in most of the competition categories are highlighted below. This list constitutes the tag and release records processed by TBF as of August 25, 2015. Do you know anyone on the list? Are you in the top five and want to be recognized by the who’s who in the billfishing community at our ceremony? Be sure to tag, release, and report
THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION’S GRANDER RELEASE CLUB
TBF’s “conservation and responsible use” philosophy applauds anglers big enough to release the big marlin girls that are estimated at boat side to weigh 750 pounds and up. To honor the anglers, captains and mates who release these very large, female marlin, TBF created the Grander Release Club. If a safe tagging opportunity is available when a decision is made to release the big marlin, tagging would be appreciated for it can generate needed recapture data. Reports of the grander releases should be submitted with a photo to [email protected]. In recognition of releasing the marlin, a newly designed TBF certificate
TBF’S 2014 INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH CONSERVATION RECORD NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Learn about all the tag and release data The Billfish Foundation received in the calendar year of 2013. The report highlights all those anglers and captains who participated in the Tag & Release program in 2013 and reveals the top locations for billfish as well as breakdowns for tags, releases, and recapture maps for each billfish species. Download the complete record here or purchase an original online
TBF AT 2015 ICAST
Sportfishing is quickly becoming a growing force, not just in the United States, but internationally. This past July, more than 13,000 representatives of the global sportfishing industry came together once again for the 58th annual International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST). 2015 brought the biggest show yet for ICAST where vendors showcase the latest and greatest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories. However, the show not only focuses on the new innovations and fishing technology, but the importance of the sportfishing community working together for the betterment of the industry. TBF staff with Tag & Release sponsor PELAGIC
Predicting Atlantic Blue Marlin Distribution
TBF’s Dr. Phil Goodyear, is currently advancing research to use oceanographic data and information recovered from earlier satellite tagging research to predict Atlantic blue marlin distributions in time (month, year, time of day) and space (latitude, longitude and depth). The methods will be used initially to evaluate climate influences on the ability to infer historical abundances based on longline catch rates for Atlantic blue marlin and swordfish, but may also help forecast the effects of global warming on the future fisheries. The two images below, with red indicating concentration of blue marlin in the months of July and
PAXSON “PACKY” OFFIELD – LET’S CONTINUE HIS LEGACY…
PAXSON “PACKY” OFFIELD, former chairman of The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) board of directors, passed away Sunday June 14th at his home in Michigan. In 2011, Offield was the recipient of TBF’s most prestigious award, the Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a man who cared deeply for the world’s natural resources and matched that passion with support for research and conservation of billfish, bison, eagles, peregrine falcons and foxes. He also supported science to fight disease and to provide basic services, including funds for well water in a very distant remote area so the quality of life for others
