TBF’S COLLEGIATE BILLFISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Watching collegiate atheltics is exciting and can leave you on the edge of your seat rooting for your alma mater or rooting against your rivals. One big problem is you cannot participate and help your college. Well, that has all changed. Unlike NCAA tournaments,YOU, the anglers, captains and fans, have the opportunity to help the college of your choice win TBF’s Collegiate National Billfish Championship (CBNC). Remember ANYONE(student, alumni or fan) can particpate in this competition, you don’t even have to fish to win prizes. Your tagging records will count for the CBNC AND TBF’s Annual Tag &
I RECAPTURED A TBF TAGGED BILLFISH: WHAT NOW?
Have you recaptured a TBF tagged billfish? Congratulations, it is a rare feat for anglers to catch a tagged fish, so thank for reporting it! By reporting your recapture, you are helping provide TBF and its partners with valuable data about billfish and, therefore, helping out the entire sportfishing community. Please fill out this recapture form with as much information as you can and then please contact us. When a fish is recaptured, the scientific loop of data collection is completed, giving scientists insight into billfish biology and movement patterns. TBF utilizes the data provided to help steer fisheries
TBF EXTENDS OUTREACH IN THE NORTHEAST
In an effort to reach out to the sportfishing community of the Northeast, TBF sent Capt. Tony DiGiulian to attend the opening weekend of the 8thAnnual Hamptons Offshore Invitational. The tournament was held August 15ththrough August 24th out of Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island NY. With 72 boats entered in this year’s tournament, the Hamptons Invitational has become one of the most prestigious tournaments on the East Coast. The event culminated with an awards dinner at Oakland’s restaurant in Hampton Bays, with over 650 tournament entrants, supporters and guests in attendance. This year’s tournament was the most successful yet
TBF GETS YOUTH “HOOKED” ON CONSERVATION AT MIAMI FISHING CLINIC
On April 11, 2009 Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension 4-H and Sea Grant Programs proudly held the county’s 3rd Annual Kid’s Fishing Clinic. This spirited event, sponsored by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was held at the Miami Rowing Club on Virginia Key. The educational clinic was designed to teach young anglers about fishing techniques, marine habitats, ethical angling and conservation. The students went through five different skills stations throughout the day and got lots of hands-on experience.The Billfish Foundation’s Peter Chaibongsai was stationed in the Ethical Angling booth and discussed many important topics with the young new anglers
2009 Tag & Release Award Winners Honored
For two decades across the world, captains, anglers and mates have committed to tag and release of billfish supplying data for conservation efforts critical to scientific research. Annually TBF members from more than 70 countries are invited to participate in the latest competition which ran from Nov. 1, 2008 to Oct. 31, 2009. Across the globe they are the heart-and-soul of The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) eminent Tag & Release program. In its latest annual “competition” a combined total of nearly 13,500 TBF “tagging data reports” and “release notification cards” were generated from three of the world’s five Oceans which
