SIMRAD JOINS TBF AS TAG AND RELEASE PROGRAM SPONSOR FOR 2014

TBF is proud to announce Simrad, world-leader in the design and manufacturer of marine electronics, has joined The Billfish Foundation as a 2014 Tag and Release Program sponsor. Simrad Yachting’s partnership will help TBF advance our cornerstone billfish tagging program to further billfish conservation worldwide. “As a global leader in the engineering and development of sport fishing technology, Simrad Yachting is committed to protecting our worldwide fisheries,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO of Navico. “We are proud to support the Billfish Foundation. The work and information they provide is vital to ensuring these important fish stocks are sustainable into the

FEDERAL FISHERIES AGENCY ADJUSTS MISLEADING ECONOMIC INFORMATION

Washington, D.C. – June 26, 2014 – After significant objection from the recreational fishing and boating community, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has taken steps to correct a key fisheries economics report that misleadingly indicated that the domestic commercial fishing industry in the United States was significantly larger than the recreational fishing industry. When imported seafood, which is not regulated or managed by NMFS, is removed from the equation, the corrected data show that the recreational fishing industry is actually $7.9 billion dollars larger than the commercial fishing industry. Furthermore, the corrected data show that the domestic commercial

A RECAPTURE TO REMEMBER

Whether a novice or tournament pro, every angler out there should consider themselves very fortunate to have the opportunity to tag and release a billfish. Just seeing a marlin or sailfish is an amazing experience, but perhaps even more spectacular than seeing one from the topside of a boat is jumping in the water and witnessing the grace and beauty of a billfish close up. In June of 2013, Kasey Swan was lucky enough to not only tag and release a white marlin, but for this fish to later be recaptured. What made this recapture even more extraordinary is

TBF AT CASA VIEJA LODGE

If you ask any serious offshore angler where the best billfish action in the world is, chances are Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL) and Guatemala are one of the first answers you’ll hear. With captains releasing literally thousands of billfish in a single season, fishing in Guatemala is the experience of a lifetime for anglers. Fortunately for TBF, CVL has shown their commitment to billfish conservation by coming on as a Tag & Release sponsor and reporting all of their billfish data to us. However, their support goes far beyond that. Ron Kawaja of Pelagic and Tony Ludovico stand

NOAA FISHERIES TO DEVELOP NATIONAL POLICY ON RECREATIONAL FISHING

Historically, the saltwater recreational fishing community and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have not always had a great relationship. Over the years this has changed and NOAA has put more emphasis and effort to learn about and from the recreational fishing community. This effort has allowed the two groups to strengthen their current relationship. This week’s 2014 Saltwater Recreational Fishing Summit showcased this strengthening bond. The NOAA-hosted event brought together over 100 fishing industry leaders, scientists, fishery managers and interested observers to brainstorm new ideas for future management of saltwater recreational fishing.The Billfish Foundation was honored

YOUTH MEMBERS RAISE FUNDS FOR TBF

Three of our youngest members from Massachusetts recently stopped by our offices to drop off a donation to The Billfish Foundation (TBF) that they procured earlier this year. Miles Buddenhagen, 8 years old, and his brothers Evan, 10 years old and Kolby, 5 years old, tabled a booth at their school’s sustainability fair. During the fair, they spoke to people about the importance of catch and release and asked for donations to TBF and billfish conservation. They obviously did a phenomenal job, by presenting a $1000 donation to us this week! Their love of fishing and fish conservation began

RECREATIONAL FISHING AND BOATING COMMUNITY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO REVAMP MARINE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Washington, D.C. – Congress is currently revising the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs our nation’s marine resources. Recreational saltwater anglers and the sportfishing and boating industries are intensifying efforts to ensure that their social, conservation and economic priorities are well represented in the legislative process. Today, in a series of meetings on Capitol Hill, the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management co-chairs, Johnny Morris, founder and CEO, Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president, Maverick Boats, briefed members of Congress and media on the commission’s recommended changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The commission, composed

PALAU ANNOUNCES A BAN OF ALL COMMERCIAL FISHING

On February 4th, 2014 the president of the Republic of Palau, Tommy Remengesau Jr., announced to the United Nation’s his intention to become the first country to close its entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to commercial fishing. Instead of selling their fishing rights for exploitation by foreign nations as done in the past, the 230,000 square miles of water would be managed to encourage marine recreational activities with the focus on increasing diving and sportfishing tourism. In his speech to the United Nations, President Remegnesau made it explicitly clear that the increased protection for Palau’s EEZ was not intended

BERMUDA’S PREMIER ORDERS EEZ NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN HAMILTON DECLARATION

Photo Credit: Bonnier

On March 4th the Premier of Bermuda, Craig Cannonier, ordered that Bermuda’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) not be included within the Hamilton Declaration, a multi-lateral agreement for increased protection of the greater Sargasso Sea. If he had not taken this important action, the Hamilton Declaration would have applied to the waters within the 200-mile radius around Bermuda and may have taken flexibility away from the Government of Bermuda in deciding how to manage their EEZ. The Hamilton Declaration is set to be signed and executed by the signatories on March 11, 2014 in Hamilton

2014 TAG AND RELEASE CEREMONY RECAP

On February 13, 2014 The Billfish Foundation honored conservation achievements at the 2014 Tag and Release Ceremony held at Miami’s Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom in front of a crowd of more than 200 individuals. The 24th annual Tag and Release Ceremony was sponsored by Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund  and the awards were presented by King Sailfish Mounts.  TBF would also like to thank all of our Tag and Release Program Sponsors (Casa Vieja Lodge, Costa Sunglasses, and Pelagic Gear) for sponsoring TBF’s cornerstone program for billfish conservation. The incredible ceremony would not be possible without the support of Deceiver Charters for sponsoring the open bar