This month the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) accepted applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for which decisions will be made in September for the following fishing year. One application…
The current proposed Amendment 13 to the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan may reallocate the U.S. Atlantic quota share of Bluefin Tuna among Fishing Categories (Angling, Longline, General,…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) approved Amendment 12 to the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which adds bullet and frigate mackerel as ecosystem component (EC) species. EC…
The Billfish Foundation is proud to join the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP) as a Sustaining Partner. CSP works to maximize opportunities for saltwater anglers and advocate for the conservation…
On May 11, 2021 at 11:30pm, the Northern Area Trophy Bluefin Fishery closed to angling. It will remain closed for the remainder of the year. The Northern Area is the…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
As of May 4 at 11:30pm, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Gulf of Mexico Incidental Trophy Fishery is closed. This means that no anglers may land, possess, or retain…
Listed below are the top 5 captains and anglers in each category for The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Competition as of April 28, 2021. If a category is missing,…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
As the challenge to mitigate climate change gains momentum worldwide, the recreational fishing community must work to help identify waters for closure. This is especially true in light of the…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or…
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with over 260,000 records by over 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged,…
NOAA Fisheries closed the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category for the Southern Area Trophy Fishery on March 1st, 2021. This closure will last all year, ending on December 31st, 2021.…
With the recent Executive Order (EO), recreational fishing gear, bottom trawls, and pelagic longline are viewed the same as all other fishing gear when it comes to designating Marine Protected…
The Billfish Foundation’s 2021 Tag & Release Awards Ceremony took place on February 12th on Facebook Live. Like our 2020 Gala, the Awards Ceremony was virtual due to COVID-19. While…
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,…
NOAA Fisheries recently released economic impact figures caused by COVID-19 on the U.S. fishing and seafood industry, including wild harvest, aquaculture, and the recreational charter/for-hire sector. Most recreational charter operations…
The 2021 Tag & Release Ceremony presented by King Sailfish Mounts, Dekit, Viking Service Center, Costa Sunglasses and Floy Tag is virtual this year! It will be held via Facebook…
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…
TBF’s “conservation and responsible use” philosophy applauds anglers big enough to release the big marlin girls that are estimated at boat side to weigh 750 pounds and up. To honor…
Learn about all the tag and release data The Billfish Foundation received in the calendar year of 2013. The report highlights all those anglers and captains who participated in the…
Sportfishing is quickly becoming a growing force, not just in the United States, but internationally. This past July, more than 13,000 representatives of the global sportfishing industry came together once…
PAXSON “PACKY” OFFIELD, former chairman of The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) board of directors, passed away Sunday June 14th at his home in Michigan. In 2011, Offield was the recipient of…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA – June 8, 2015 – Today, The Billfish Foundation (TBF), the world’s leading sportfishing conservation organization, announced the winners of its prestigious Rybovich Lifetime…
The Billfish Foundation has received several inquiries regarding our annual tag and release competition. In response we have attached our specific rules for the competition. Additionally we have the individual…
Photo Courtesy of Chris Van Leeuwen The Offshore World Championship and The Billfish Foundation announced a partnership to advance billfish science last month. The project, including OWC, The Billfish Foundation,…
Over 100 guests attended the exclusive member’s only The Billfish Foundation (TBF) and International Seakeepers Society joint event to promote membership and announce a partnership between both organizations to collaborate on billfish conservation. The…
Each year, TBF relies on the sportfishing community across the world to report their billfish tag and release information. Since it began in 1990, TBF’s Tag & Release Program anglers,…
Each year, TBF relies on the sportfishing community across the world to report their billfish tag and release data. Since it began in 1990, TBF’s Tag & Release Program now…
The tag and release reports are in and the results have finally been tallied. This year was truly a record year for billfish anglers and for TBF’s Tag & Release…
Anglers are the ones who can truly make a difference for the future of our billfish species. They’re the ones out there, every day, in all kinds of conditions and…
The Enchanted Forest’s Top Event Sponsors “Heroes for the 2014 Gala” Louisiana Cat • Bacardi Dragonfly Boatworks • Cox Maritime Law • Casa de Campo Marina Garmin • One Vanilla…
The Billfish Foundation’s most prestigious award, the Rybovich Lifetime Conservation Award, is named in honor of the late John Rybovich, a pioneer in billfish conservation and sportfishing vessel design. This…
Photo courtesy of Laurent Cherubin Did you know that removing a billfish from the water not only causes unnecessary harm to the fish, but in the Atlantic it is illegal…
Winter is approaching and that means one thing for us down here in South Florida, the return of the world class sailfish bite. Anglers begin to anticipate the onset of…
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…
Have you ever wondered who the best anglers, captains and crews are here in South Florida? Some boats might have their luck at a two day tournament, but what about…
Eat, drink, and bid on items to help support billfish conservation! Check out some of the pictures and fun everyone had from last year’s “Night Under the
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…
The Billfish Foundation’s 2014 International Billfish Conservation Record is now available for purchase on TBF’s Online Shopping Cart. This publication is dedicated to the late Dr. Russell Nelson, a nationally…
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…
TBF is proud to announce Simrad, world-leader in the design and manufacturer of marine electronics, has joined The Billfish Foundation as a 2014 Tag and Release Program sponsor. Simrad Yachting’s…
Whether a novice or tournament pro, every angler out there should consider themselves very fortunate to have the opportunity to tag and release a billfish. Just seeing a marlin or…
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…
A recent Presidential Proclamation opened waters, closed in 2016, to commercial fishing inside the 5,000 square miles of the designated Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located 130 miles…
NOAA Fisheries is doubling the number of swordfish allowed to be harvested by commercial fisheries. These expanded retention limits apply to vessels issued a Swordfish General Commercial permit or an…
The Northern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Trophy Fishery will officially close as of 11:30pm on May 21, 2020. It will remain closed for the remainder of 2020. This closure…
NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish, billfish, and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and albacore. This update include all landings between January 1st and March 31st of…
On February 7th, the National Marine Fisheries Service published a final ruling on the implementation of hard caps for drift gillnet fisheries (DGN) in the Pacific. These fisheries target thresher…
NOAA has announced big changes in daily retention limits for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. These changes increase retention for those operating with an HMS Angling permit or an…
The National Marine Fisheries Service’s recently issued its final decision on Gear Restricted Areas (GRA) and Weak Hook use by pelagic longline vessels. These decisions ARE NOT related to the…
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…
NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Northern Atlantic swordfish and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and northern albacore. This update includes all landings of these species from January 1…
For the second year in a row, Costa Sunglasses hosted their Conservation Village in the Miami International Boat Show to educate showgoers about ocean conservation and encourage them to help…
The General Category for Atlantic bluefin tuna will close beginning February 24th at 11:30pm and reopen on June 1st. This closure marks the fulfillment of the 100mt January subquota, which,…
The Angling Category for trophy Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Southern Area (the area south of Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey, 39°18’N lat) has already reached its 1.8 mt subquota,…
The 2011 required year-round use of weak hooks (15/0 carbon vs 16/0 steel for regularly used hook) by pelagic longline vessels fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was for 12…
The Gear Restricted Area (GRA) off Cape Hatteras implemented to reduce bluefin tuna bycatch by pelagic longline vessels now is open to the gear. The waters had been closed December…
NOAA Fisheries announced the final landings updates for Atlantic swordfish and tunas, including bluefin. This update includes all fish landed between January 1st and December 31st, 2019. It also released…
Pelagic longline “research” decisions not yet issued that could authorize the gear to fish inside waters closed for 19 and 20 years off of Florida’s east coast, Charleston and in…
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…
While no action was taken by the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its November meeting to advance further consideration of its recently proposed measure to consider authorizing a…
NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish and bluefin tuna. This update includes all fish landed between January 1st and October 31st of this year. For swordfish, a total…
Because overfished Atlantic marlin receive no government research funding priority, large data gaps relating to their life history characteristics remain. Satellite tagging provides a means to fill some of the…
The Pacific Fishery Management Counsel is proposing to authorize the use of shallow-set longline gear to fish for swordfish off the West Coast of the United States. Below are the…
NOAA is considering an amendment to the current Fishery Management Plan for Coral and Coral Reef Resources in Gulf of Mexico. The amendment establishes new and modifies existing habitat areas…
TBF's Winthrop P. Rockefeller's Student Ocean Intern Program awards students who support billfish conservation and believe in responsible fisheries management.
TBF Responds to New Pacific Fishery Management Council Initiative