TBF’S 2017 ARTIST OF THE YEAR – DENNIS FRIEL

TBF proudly announces the selection of South Florida native Dennis Friel as its 2017 Artist of the Year. “Combustion” by Dennis Friel Dennis fondly recalls “as a kid growing up in South Florida fishing, surfing and diving the waters from Palm Beach to the Keys, I always drew fish and the sea. To build those childhood experiences into a career has made me feel very fortunate.” As an avid tournament angler, Dennis’ ability to visually portray the saltwater lifestyle is unique. He also draws from his south Florida roots to discover new points of inspiration. Fusing both traditional

The Billfish Foundation’s International Tag & Release Awards – 2016 Award Winners

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TBF’S TAGGING PROGRAM HERALDED

A recently released analysis of the NMFS Cooperative Tagging Program between January 2006 and December 2015 by Caitlyn Savoia, a graduate student at the University of Miami, documented that during those years the Program received the lowest number of tagged and recaptured reports, which collect valuable scientific data.”  The author lauded the work of TBF’s implementation of its self-entry on-line database for tagged, released and recaptured billfish as well as the outreach done to further engage the sportfishing community. She applauds TBF’s Tag & Release system for including interactive features that improve efficiency, transparency while making the entry, retrieving

TBF WELCOMES 20ECHO AS A TAG & RELEASE PROGRAM SPONSOR!

The Billfish Foundation (TBF) proudly announces that 20echo is its newest Tag and Release Program sponsor, joining  Casa Vieja Lodge, Costa Sunglasses, Garmin, King Sailfish Mounts, Pelagic Gear, and Yeti in support of the scientific data collecting program. Begun in 1990, the Program has produced the world’s largest private billfish tagging data resource, which is the organization’s cornerstone science project that shares angler-generated data with scientists to improve billfish science. TBF’s partnership with 20echo.com will bolster data collect for years to come by giving anglers a fast, on board means to capture weather, oceanic and fish data at the exact spot of a billfish tag, release

2016 TAG & RELEASE COMPETITION WINNERS

The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Tag and Release Award winners, the “who’s who” in the billfishing world will be honored during the International Tag and Release Awards Ceremony at Miami’s Jungle Island on February 17, 2017. Earning one of the prestigious awards, produced and donated by King Sailfish Mounts, symbolizes a year of hard work, great fishing and/or boat and fish handling skills plus a commitment to a future with billfishing. Leaders in the sportfishing industry sponsor the Tag and Release Program and Ceremony and include Costa Sunglasses, PELAGIC Gear, Casa Vieja Lodge, Garmin Inc., YETI Coolers, Marina Casa de Campo, International Game Fish Tournament

The Billfish Foundation’s Annual Gala “Back to the 80s”

TBF’s “Back to the 80’s, When it all Began” 30th Anniversary Gala was a fun success! TBF’s annual party has become THE sportfishing event to attend during the week of the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, this year was no exception! TBF appreciates the great support it received from a wide array of sponsors, donors, volunteers and great guests who purchased for the good of billfish and billfishing! Special Congrats go to Rybovich Award Recipients Capt Red Bailey, Bonnie Powell, and

MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT TBF!

Our success would not have been possible without the support of countless individuals and organizations. Please take a few moments to review the many ways you can give financially to TBF. For any questions about membership, memorials, tributes or other current gifts, please contact [email protected] or call Deborah at 800-438-8247, x106. To discuss any other planned gifts, contact [email protected] or call Robert at 800-438-8247, x113

MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT TBF!

Members and friends of The Billfish Foundation have a long tradition of generous giving to support the many vital programs furthering the mission of conserving billfish worldwide. Since its founding in 1986, TBF’s achievements have been significant. Our success would not have been possible without the support of countless individuals and organizations. Please take a few moments to review the many ways you can give financially to TBF. For any questions about membership, memorials, tributes or other current gifts, please contact [email protected] or call Deborah at 800-438-8247, x106. To discuss any other planned gifts, contact [email protected] or call

BACK TO THE 80’S LIVE AUCTION PREVIEW

Take a peek at some of the items we have in store for you to bid on for our live auction at our annual fundraiser, Back to the 80’s! Be sure to bid high, as all the proceeds go to billfish conservation! For more information on the event and to purchase your tickets or table, click here. BLUE MARLIN SAT TAGGING EXPEDITION – Be part of TBF’s 2017 blue marlin satellite tagging expedition in the Gulf of Mexico. Building off past expeditions, join TBF for a thrilling and gratifying experience fishing for blue marlin, satellite tagging them, and learning more about

TBF MOBILE APPLICATION GOES LIVE!

Over the past 26 years, the sportfishing community has provided The Billfish Foundation (TBF) with over 220,000 tag and release records, making it the largest private billfish database worldwide. The data received helps marine researchers gain insight into migratory patterns, growth rates, habitat usage, and the overall health of billfish stocks around the world. A vast majority of those records used to be received on our traditional cards via post, but with TBF’s online system launch several years ago, there has been an incredible 45% increase in reported data from anglers, captains, and mates since 2014. With a large shift of people moving from desktop users into mobile devices, TBF wanted to make it easier and more convenient for the