THE JOHN RYBOVICH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The award is named in honor of a former board member and pioneer in billfish conservation, who founded the Sailfish Conservation Club, the Masters…
TBF welcomes T.J. Morrell to the team as our Science/Education Specialist. He will be responsible for showcasing the importance of tagging and releasing and leads in the development of educational…
The National Marine Fisheries Service just announced a proposed rule that would establish a specific Restricted Fishing Day (RFD) schedule. Daily commercial bluefin tuna retention limits would be set to…
On March 10, 2022, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) submitted official comments to the National Marine Fisheries Service for Draft Amendment 14 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan regarding…
The Billfish Foundation’s 2022 Tag & Release Awards Ceremony took place on February 18th at Jungle Island to celebrate and highlight the achievement of some of the top anglers, captains…
Just one day after the General Category closure, NMFS announced that on February 12, 2022, at 11:30 pm through December 31, 2022, the Southern Area Trophy Bluefin Fishery will be…
Capitol Hill must act as Atlantic sharks are everywhere taking angler-hooked fish, not occasionally, but all the time. The NMFS has no plans to check the occurrence other than to…
In September 2021, an article published in Marine Biology, Journal of Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters, was distributed by the NMFS as a paper and computer model that might…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is excited to announce that Boaters List, out of San Antonio, Texas, is a new sponsor of TBF’s cornerstone program, our Tag and Release program. Widely…
For over 40 years of my life, I never considered myself an artist. I didn’t take art classes, grab a pencil and paper and sketch didn’t paint or want to…
NMFS issued 7 Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for vessels to fish for BAYS tunas (bigeye, yellowfin albacore, skipjack) and swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic East…
No balance currently exists between the hugely successful Atlantic shark conservation and management of Atlantic shark fisheries – people fishing, jobs, food markets, experiences, and economics. Balance is needed. Shark…
Led by Blair Wickstrom of Florida Sportsmans Magazine, targets the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (FMC) and NOAA, and calls for, by anglers, greater conservation restraints for mahi-mahi and wahoo,…
The Billfish Foundation submitted comments to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today on the Draft Review of Atlantic Shark Fishery Review (SHARE) urging the revitalization of the Atlantic shark fishery…
Each year The Billfish Foundation recognizes the best of the best in the billfishing community to acknowledge the significant effort they contribute to our Tag & Release Program and billfish conservation.…
King Sailfish Mounts began nearly 30 years ago allowing sportsmen have a beautiful fish mount while knowing that they didn’t need to kill their trophy fish for it. Before King…
In support of Executive Order (EO) 13921, which calls for Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, in May 2020, NOAA just issued two extensive tools that may be used…
Input requested from anglers regarding potential impacts from offshore wind projects The Billfish Foundation just received word that The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is hosting the only workshop on…
Anglers remain steadfast in objecting to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (SAFMC) approval of Amendment 10 as written. The amendment is now with the Secretary of Commerce for final…
The member nations, including the U.S., of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the international treaty fishery management organization for Atlantic highly migratory species, approved a…
Daily reports and postings of angler-caught fish bitten into or taken whole by Atlantic sharks, known as depredation, painfully and clearly demonstrates the result of one-sided management, which has produced…
The ‘supreme orbit’ for space creatures and space beauties was found at TBF’s Billfish in Space Gala, which rocked all night long! Definitely the hottest party during the Ft. Lauderdale…
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) recommended and the NMFS authorized a single Exempted Fishing Permit for testing a new gear – Modified Snap – in federal waters off California.…
A science paper published in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, written by E. Houck et al., from North Carolina State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Center…
After 23 years of defending the Closed Zones off the U.S. East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) just shared its options in…
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…
Scientists at the University of Maine need Atlantic blue marlin that weigh over 800 lbs and Atlantic swordfish over 500 lbs, specifically their heads, and the fork length measurement. They are…
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…
Under the proposed rule, NOAA Fisheries will establish RFDs every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from July 1 through November 30, 2023, and every Tuesday and Friday from December 1, 2023,…
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),…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
East Coast anglers frustrated by the federal government’s failure to take any meaningful action to reduce Atlantic shark depredations on angler-hooked fish have scheduled a shark tournament for July 9.…
Sales of Offshore Commercial Wind Energy Leases off all U.S. coasts were first offered by BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Department of the Interior) off the East Coast in…
With sadness and pride The Billfish Foundation (TBF) honors the late John “Jack” P. Duvall, Chairman of its Board of Directors for the second time, who passed away recently. Jack,…
Stephen “Steve” Levi, a beloved TBF member and passionate angler, unfortunately died in an auto accident on January 8 while in Biloxi, MS. Steve, as he was known, lit up…
Captain Chris Sheeder grew up in Hawaii where the offshore fishing bug bit him hard at age 11 during his first trip, a treat for making good grades. He was…
Recreational fishing may get displaced by aquaculture/mariculture if we don’t give current government plans close scrutiny. NOAA/NMFS, federal Fishery Management Councils, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environment Protection…
Charter and private recreational fishing captains primarily are conscientious in practicing conservation-smart measures for their business depends on the availability of fish. Most billfishing captains practice catch and release, some…
Through its 30-year old tagging program, supported by 190,000 voluntary angler-reported tag reports from around the world, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) assists scientists in gaining a better understanding of billfish’s…
All non-longline swordfish fisheries are required to use handgear – handline, harpoon, commercial rod and reel, green-stick and bandit gear. Handgear takes far less bycatch than does pelagic longline gear,…
Representatives from The Billfish Foundation attended a recent meeting with NOAA in which a swordfish retention expansion was discussed in the Caribbean. This proposed expansion applies to vessels in USVI…
During the present COVID-19 pandemic, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) staff and board members have great empathy for each individual and company who is suffering physically and economically. Each TBF staff…
Raising Bills, hosted by Kristen and David Salazar of Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL), has become one of the most highly anticipated events during the Miami International Boat Show. Industry leaders…
The Billfish Foundation is in communication with BlueWater Magazine’s Tim Simpson (a TBF Board Member) in Australia who made it clear that the devastating fires continue impacting humans, including those…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is looking for anglers and crews interested in tagging tuna in the Northern Atlantic. TBF is working with scientists from the Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging…
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international regional fishery management organization for highly migratory species (HMS) in the Atlantic, including billfish, tunas, and some…
NOAA Fisheries has released updated compliance guides for recreational fishing of highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean. These guides include detailed anatomical figures, identification charts, and species-specific bag limits,…
A new TBF-supported study out of the University of Miami made great strides in understanding the relationship between age and growth of Atlantic blue marlin. The study examined growth annuli…
The Billfish Foundation is currently engaging in a research project with Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program (AOTTP) in order to further the knowledge around lifecycles of yellowfin, bigeye, and…
The June 2019 assessment of white marlin’s relative abundance remaining in the water offered mixed results, “overfishing” had stopped, but the authorized catch limit is still being exceeded. So management…
EPA & Corp Proposal to Repeal Clean Water Rule – Anglers & Hunters Oppose The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Corps of…
The 3rd Raising Bills hosted by Kirsten and David Salazar of Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL), a TBF Tagging & Release Program sponsor, was a huge success in raising bill$ for…
Could China’s heavy financial investments in and aid to Panama along with the 47 recent trade agreements between the two nations possibly lead to a diminishment of Pacific fish stock…
Photo courtesy of Trey Russo/Miles Charlesworth The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is looking for anglers and crews interested in tagging tuna in the Northern Atlantic. TBF is working with scientists from…
How many blue marlin are in the ocean? Counting them isn’t exactly feasible (though you could have fun trying!) so scientists rely on catches and how much effort these catches…
A nice yellowfin tuna caught off Panama Recreational fishing in Panama and throughout Central America is likely to feel negative impacts from a fishery partnership between Panama and China established…
TBF's Winthrop P. Rockefeller's Student Ocean Intern Program awards students who support billfish conservation and believe in responsible fisheries management.
