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The Billfish Foundation

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Learn what’s happening in the world of billfish, including fisheries management, policy updates, and regulations that affect our community.

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February 22, 2023

Closure: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Southern Area Trophy Fishery

NOAA announced the closure of the Angling Category Southern Area Trophy Bluefin Tuna (the Southern Area is defined as the area south of 39°18’N lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ),…
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February 21, 2023

TBF Endorses Fly and Chester Brewer to Serve on Fishery Management Councils

Robert “Fly” Navarro and Chester Brewer are currently seeking approval to serve on Fishery Management Councils (FMC) for the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Ellen Peel and The Billfish…
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February 17, 2023

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category (Commercial) Fishery Closed

Based on the best available landings information, the adjusted 58.2-mt quota for the January through March time period has been reached and exceeded. Therefore, the fishery will be closed from…
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February 10, 2023

Regulations to Authorize Deep-set Buoy Gear for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species

NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on proposed regulations (88 FR 7661) to implement Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory…
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January 21, 2023

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.…
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January 13, 2023

West Coast Changes Coming

The phasing out of large mesh drift gillnets in federal waters and the potential authorization of deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) as a more sustainable fisheries alternative are 2 positive changes…
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January 12, 2023

Extreme Vessel Speed Reductions – East & Gulf Coasts

A federal proposal may implement an extreme vessel speed restriction of 11.5 mph for vessels 35 feet and larger when motoring through zones designated to reduce vessel strikes of endangered…
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January 9, 2023

2022 Tag & Release Competition Winners

Were you selected as a winner for the 2022 season and would like to attend TBF’s International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony? Here’s everything you need to know! Regardless of…
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December 6, 2022

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…
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December 6, 2022

Update on California Drift Gillnets

A request to officially transition the California drift gillnet swordfish fishery from large mesh drift gillnets to alternative options was submitted under The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act (H.R.…
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November 14, 2022

TBF’s Holiday Fundraising Event Starts Today!

Following the overwhelming success of our Virtual Gala in 2020, we knew that we couldn’t return to solely in-person events. That’s why we are excited to announce our annual Holiday…
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November 3, 2022

Deadline to Submit For TBF’s Tag and Release Competition is coming up!

The deadline for The Billfish Foundation’s 2021-2022 Annual Tag & Release Competition was October 31st, 2022. All records must be received by TBF by the end of the day on…
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November 1, 2022

A Friday Night Fever to Remember!

What a night! From the funky band to the freaky deeky dance floor, to everyone’s stellar outfits, this was a night everyone is sure to remember! Or maybe they won’t…
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October 13, 2022

Update on Closed Zones – October 2022

Decision on Closed Zones Coming Soon Unfortunately, we are still fighting against pelagic longlining being reopened within specific closed zones. As you might remember from last year, an announcement proposing…
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October 9, 2022

Proposed Speed Zones Along the East Coast

Extreme Vessel Speed Reductions Once again, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has failed to consider the effects of their decisions on the recreational fishing community. Their recent proposal, which…
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October 3, 2022

Amendment 13 Finalized

As of October 3, 2022, Amendment 13 for Bluefin Tuna is now complete and includes changes for commercial fishing under the Individual Bluefin Quota system. Fortunately, there were fewer impacts…
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September 12, 2022

Gulf of Mexico Restoration Plan 

Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, a group of federal representatives have continued to assess and develop recovery strategies for injured…
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September 12, 2022

Costa Rica’s Tuna Reform Law – Billfish Impacts Uncertain

As reported recently in the Tico Times, a new Costa Rican tuna law requires all purse seine vessels (none of which are owned by Costa Rican interests) to fish outside of…
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September 7, 2022

Bluefin Quota Allocation Transfer – Sept 2022

NMFS transferred 90.5 metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna from the Reserve Category to the General Category for the remainder of this month to cover a 20.5 metric ton quota…
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September 1, 2022

TBF Welcomes our newest Winthrop P Rockefeller Intern – Addie Spain

We would like to introduce our newest Winthrop P. Rockefeller Student Ocean intern, Adelaide Spain! She is currently a senior at the University of Miami studying Marine Affairs and Classics…
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August 10, 2022

New Findings on Striped Marlin Migrations

The following was released by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group and the Large Pelagics Research Center: The most comprehensive effort to date to characterize striped marlin (Kajikia audax) movements in the Central North…
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August 10, 2022

Estimating Pelagic Longline Bycatch

Over the years, Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear, TBF’s billfish scientist has developed “species distribution models” for highly migratory species that estimate time-varying, three-dimensional distribution of habitat. These models are useful…
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July 7, 2022

Mahi Mahi Summer July 2022 Update

Following the implementation of Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan in May 2022, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) issued Regulatory Amendment 3 to…
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July 5, 2022

Hudson Canyon Proposed for a National Marine Sanctuary Designation

Continued authorization of recreational fishing within the new Sanctuary is essential to the industry and continued great fishing opportunities for citizens throughout the U.S. The designation comes as part of…
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