Anglers We Will Miss: Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear
Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear of Havana, FL passed away on April 25. TBF and all of fishery science lost a leader with the death of Dr. C. Phillip (Phil) Goodyear, an internationally recognized expert in fish population dynamics. Phil worked for TBF as its consulting scientist for 28 years, during which he advanced billfish science […]
Recapture on Japanese Longliner!
On August 9th, 2022, Katsue Koyano caught a blue marlin aboard Motohiko Goto’s boat, Gotch, in the waters of Hyoutan, Japan. The marlin was relatively small, with an estimated weight of 120 pounds. Just over a year later, in August of 2023, the blue marlin was recaptured in the waters of Micronesia. It was caught […]
New Striped Marlin Study
Scientists have recently discovered that predatory fish, such as the striped marlin, use rapid color changes to coordinate their attacks on prey. The study found that the marlins use these color changes to communicate with each other during hunting, allowing them to work together more effectively. By adjusting their color patterns, the fish are able […]
76th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Recap
TBF back presenting at GCFI In November of this year, three members of TBF traveled to Nassau, The Bahamas for the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute’s (GCFI) 76th Annual Conference. Peter Chaibongsai, Addie Spain, and Racine Prinzo attended the conference to present their research findings and to share ideas and perspectives on emerging fisheries science […]
Costa’s Marlin-Fly Project
For years, we have all heard about the amazing fishery and waters in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. From the hookups of doubles, triples, and quads of striped marlin with daily releases in the triple digits, it is not surprising that a number of our tag and release winners utilize this incredible location to secure some of our top annual awards. While the fishery as a whole may be renowned by offshore anglers, our current knowledge about the striped marlin fishery in particular is merely surface level. As always, our goal is to conserve, educate, and promote sustainable fishing in locations
Pacific Striped Marlin Rebuilding Plan
Western & Central Northern Pacific striped marlin, whose abundance, especially spawning-stock biomass, and size are greatly diminished and retain low priority within the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). This regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) is tasked with the management of this and other highly migratory species. Unfortunately, its interim rebuilding plan for the species which includes goals to be achieved by 2034 has no chance of success. More aggressive conservation and management measures by WCPFC to reduce post-release mortality need to be considered, which can be done with little impact on longlines catching its targeted species
Wind lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico
The proposed sale is part of the leasing project announced by the DOI in 2021 to meet the Biden administration’s goal to deploy thirty gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. BOEM began identifying areas in the Gulf of Mexico in late 2021, following findings from government studies that show the Gulf of Mexico’s shallow waters and proximity to oil and gas infrastructure make it promising for the expansion of a new offshore industry. According to their studies, these areas presented the fewest apparent environmental and user conflicts identified as Wind Energy Areas (WEA). On February 23
New Report of the Economic Contributions by Recreational Fishing Released
Last week, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) released the 2023 Economic Contributions of Recreational Fishing: U.S. Congressional Districts report, an update of previous data in partnership with Southwick Associates. The report highlighted the social and economic importance of sportfishing (saltwater and freshwater) across the United States and focused on the economic contributions to the respective state economies from anglers who live within each congressional district. The report stated that we have nearly 52 and a half million anglers in our respective saltwater and freshwater communities. We contribute $148 billion in economic output and support 945,500 jobs, while also contributing
Gulf of Mexico Hotspots Mapping Initiative
NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are collaborating on a 5-year project to “evaluate the feasibility of bycatch hotspots” via communication networks in the Gulf of Mexico. Used as a tool to help reduce bycatch, the requested data from the recreational, charter, and commercial fisheries may be used to identify areas where high bycatch is likely. In other words, voluntarily reported angler data may be used to justify closing (spatial management) waters in the Gulf of Mexico to recreational fishing. TBF will monitor this issue and to stay up to date with all things billfish, become
Costa Rican Government Supports Sailfish Conservation
A Step in the Right Direction for Sailfish in Costa Rica If you’re expecting to come across sailfish meat in the Costa Rican Canasta Basica, then you’re unfortunately going to be disappointed. The Costa Rican government has denied the longline fisheries’ request to include sailfish meat among said list, a list which includes low-taxed food products common to a Costa Rican diet. This list, which is taxed at only 1% for the benefit of the consumer, has nearly 200 food and household items, of which the commonly seen seafood items can include mackerel filets, shark filets, tilapia
