THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION’S ELLEN PEEL, NAMED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO KEY WHITE HOUSE POST
FT LAUDERDALE, Florida, USA — Ms. Ellen Peel, the much respected president and CEO of The Billfish Foundation, who has also served for three years as a U.S. representative to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), has been named by President Obama as U.S. Commissioner to ICCAT. The announcement by the White House, along with the appointments of two others, was made May 10. Russell F. Smith III was also named a U. S. Commissioner to ICCAT. The third appointee was Caitlin Durkovich, named to the Department of Homeland Security as Assistant
AGREEMENT YIELDS LONGLINE CLOSURE FOR UPCOMING COSTA RICA FISHING TOURNAMENT
Puntarenas, Costa Rica: In a groundbreaking move and through a joint effort between The Billfish Foundation and the Presidential Challenge Charitable Foundation, commercial longlining will be closed in a 40-mile area during the upcoming Presidential Challenge of Costa Rica tournament, March 1-4, 2012. Herbert Nanne, the TBF Conservation Director for Central America successfully proposed through the National Sportfishing Commission, where he is a member, an agreement to close the waters off Carrillo, Costa Rica during the Presidential Challenge tournament to INCOPESCA, the Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute whose duties include management of the nation’s fisheries, both commercial
AND THE NEXT WINNER OF THE COLLEGIATE BILLFISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (CBNC) COSTA SUNGLASSES DRAWING IS…
Paul Veale, an alumnus of the Southern Methodist University, won our fourteenth Collegiate Billfish National Championship (CBNC) Costa Sunglasses drawing. He won by being an active member of The Billfish Foundation and registering for the CBNC. Will you be the next winner of TBF’s CBNC drawing? Just make sure your membership is active and that you have signed up for the CBNC (which is free). Remember anyone can sign up – STUDENT, ALUMNI, or FAN. We will be drawing more goodies soon, so make sure you sign up at our website! If you have any questions please let us
TBF’S RESPONSE TO THE JUVENILE SWORDFISH VIDEO ON THE INTERNET
KLHS0OjJ8 I am sure many of you have seen this video already and TBF wanted to respond to what we saw in the view. The excessive killing of the juvenile swordfish filmed in the video reflects a complete disregard for conservation, the future jobs dependent upon healthy swordfish stocks and the sacrifices made by U.S. interests to help recover the stocks of North Atlantic swordfish. This area needs to be identified and closed to protect juvenile swordfish, protect US interests and the future livelihood of the fishery. TBF forwarded the video with our expressed dire concern to the
PAXSON H. OFFIELD, RECEIVES TBF’S RYBOVICH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
FT LAUDERDALE, Fla., — A gentleman sportsman long known for his work in conservation on many fronts, especially along the Pacific coast, Paxson H. Offield, received TBF’s Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Award, Friday, Oct. 28, at The Billfish Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Dinner in Ft. Lauderdale. A dedicated conservationist Offield of Avalon, California, is a past chairman of TBF serving on its board of directors for 16 years. He’s been a primary supporter of TBF’s billfish science and ocean science-based policy campaigns and fully involved in developing satellite tags for tagging billfish in the Pacific, to track migration and other data
COSTA RICA’S SPORTFISHING AND TOURISM COMMISSION ADDS TBF CONSERVATION DIRECTOR AMONG ITS SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica, one of the world’s premier sportfishing destinations, has named Herbert Nanne, and Monica Gutierrez to the country’s recently formed Sportfishing and Tourism Commission. Nanne is a biologist and The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Central America Conservation Director. Gutierrez is a lawyer and President of Pronature, a sister conservation entity to TBF. After a TBF sponsored socio-economic study was presented last year on the positive impact sportfishing has for the country, the Costa Rica Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (INCOPESCA)created the commission in July 2010. Its duties include creating alternative projects among the small
CURRENT STANDINGS FOR THE CBNC
The college football season has just begun with fall practice, who do you think will win it all this year? While you might not have a chance to actively participate in those games, TBF has a way for ANYONE (students, alumni, or fans) to help shore up the reputation and competitiveness of your favorite college/university. All you have to do is sign up today for TBF’s and Collegiate Billfish National Championship (CBNC) competition. Your team may not be in contention right now for the #1 ranking, but with TBF, you and your friends can win a National
THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION AT BRAZIL’S SPORTFISHING TRADE SHOW PROMOTING CONSERVATION AND SPORTFISHING TOURISM
The Billfish Foundations’ global conservation and sportfishing tourism efforts will be highlighted in an opening day presentation August 10, at Brazil’s Pesca Sportfishing Trade Show in Sao Paulo. The trade show runs through August 12. The seminar “The Science of Fisheries Conservation and the Economic Development of Sportfishing Tourism” will be presented by TBF’s Elliott Stark at 10:30 a.m. Stark, a science and policy specialist at the 25 year old non-profit organization which is committed to solely conserving and enhancing billfish populations globally, will highlight TBF’s ongoing fisheries programs to empower continued strives in billfish conservation by several countries
THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION IN CANARY ISLANDS TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION AND SPORTFISHING TOURISM
The 26th Annual Offshore Fishing Championships (XXVI Edicion Campeonato de Pesca de Altura) from July 28-30 in the extremely prolific billfishing arena of the Canary Islands will also be the back drop for the promotion of The Billfish Foundations’ global conservation efforts. “As a world class blue marlin destination the Canary Islands’ are dedicated to sportfishing tourism as a means to promote fisheries conservation as well as economic well being of communities,” said TBF Science and Policy Specialist Elliott Stark who will be attending. “This is an increasingly important means of empowering fisheries conservation policy on national and international
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TO SEE CURRENT TAG AND RELEASE COMPETITION STANDINGS
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 untagged. Award winners are recognized with beautiful trophies provided by King Sailfish Mounts at TBF’s Annual Tag & Release Awards Ceremony held during the Miami International Boat Show. Now TBF will be offering regular updates to the competition, to let captains, mates, and anglers know who are in the Top 5 for each
