Preliminary National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) statistics comparing Atlantic bluefin tuna landings in December 2017 to December 2016 indicate more fish were landed in 2017, but smaller in size and…
Recent images from the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago have again brought attention to the plight of billfish in the Caribbean. The photos show over a dozen billfish that…
A group of anglers were rescued off the Boynton Beach Inlet Saturday morning after their boat was allegedly sunk by a massive marlin. However, their story has since been called…
The Billfish Foundation was honored to join the 55th annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament as a benefiting charity this year. The tournament, held at Sailfish Marina in West Palm Beach,…
NOVA Southeastern University Scientist and assistant professor, David W. Kerstetter, who received a federal Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) in 2017 to conduct longline research in Florida’s east coast closed zone,…
We all want that epic photo. Whether it’s the most beautiful bonefish you’ve ever reeled in, a tasty grouper you’ve pulled up from the reef, and especially the mighty sailfish…
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…
The Southeast Permits Office of NOAA Fisheries is reminding permit holders that all limited access permits must be renewed by the termination date printed on the front of the permit.…
Beginning January 5, 2018, NOAA Fisheries will require vessels with Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permits to also obtain a “commercial sale” endorsement in order to sell any catch of…
The National Marine Fisheries Service has decided to close the General category fishery for large, medium, and giant Atlantic bluefin tuna for the rest of the year. The closure takes…
The Atlantic bluefin tuna General fishery will reopen December 1 for the first time since early October, thanks to a transfer of quota. NOAA Fisheries is transferring 25.6 mt from…
More than 700 delegates from 47 member nations met in Marrakesh last week for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to discuss management strategies for several…
It was during the slow, hot days of a south Florida summer that The Billfish Foundation and Waterlust hatched a plan to boost each of their marine conservation efforts. The…
NOAA Fisheries recently released an updated estimate of recreational billfish landings in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as commercial and recreational landings of swordfish, thus far in 2017. From January…
Team members from The Billfish Foundation joined in the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute conference held in Merida, Mexico last week. It was the 70th anniversary of the conference, where…
We now know a little bit more about the massive marlin that was caught off Hawaii nearly a decade ago. On September 1, 2009, three anglers landed a blue marlin…
Humans have known for centuries that fish are attracted to floating objects. Fishermen have taken advantage of this behavior by fishing around palm fronds, seaweed patches, and any debris that…
Following the wrath of Hurricane Irma came the destruction: downed trees, debris thrown across roadways, docks uplifted from their posts, boats sunken or tossed on land, and in some cases…
The Atlantic bluefin tuna General category fishery for large-medium and giant bluefin tuna closes Thursday October 5, 2017 for roughly two months. This comes just four days after the October…
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (and other highly migratory species, HMS) convened mid-September in Madrid, Spain specifically to discuss management of tropical tunas followed by the…
TBF thanks its constituents for their continued support in keeping this issue at the forefront. Join the TBF community today to be part of our efforts on matters like
Bags of trash collected during Miami Seaquarium’s beach cleanup to commemorate their 62nd anniversary The Billfish Foundation strives to support its local south Florida community and partners with like-minded organizations…
My name is Addie Spain and I am thrilled to be continuing my time with The Billfish Foundation. I recently graduated from the University of Miami with majors in Marine…
The Billfish Foundation & Gulf Coast Yacht Group present a new Award for Gulf of Mexico Youth Anglers – the Steve C. Levi Memorial Trophy Youth Conservation Award Following the…
We would like to introduce our newest Winthrop P. Rockefeller Student Ocean intern, Racine Prinzo! Racine is a passionate ocean enthusiast and dedicated intern at TBF. She is a South…
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).…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF), the world’s leading sportfishing conservation organization for marlin, sailfish, spearfish, and associated highly migratory fish, announces this year’s winners of its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards. TBF’s…
TBF’s Annual Tag and Release Award Ceremony, held in February, was again a high-energy event during which top captains, anglers, and mates were honored for their conservation releases and data…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is excited to announce and welcome aboard Willis Custom Yachts as a new Grand Slam level conservation partner. Willis Custom Yachts is committed to being the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
TBF is excited to announce the release of its new tag and release web application. Complete with a more user-friendly interface, personalized fishing history, and a revamped mobile phone application,…
Can you believe we are already halfway through our annual competition?!?! Listed below are current standings for top captains and anglers in each category for The Billfish Foundation’s Tag &…
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 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…
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…
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.…
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…
This past June, Biscayne National Park released its new General Management Plan (GMP) to guide actions over the next 20 years in preserving and protecting the shallow water coral reef…
The NMFS recently released its Discussion Draft Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Policy to serve as guiding principles for the agency’s decision making over the long term. NOAA defines EBFM “as…
Michael Kelly, Science & Policy Specialist represented The Billfish Foundation (TBF) on the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel, which discussed current billfish, tuna and shark…
Photo Courtesy of Brant Wise Despite the popularity with anglers worldwide and the research investments made by The Billfish Foundation since 1986, still a lot of biological information is not…
TBF’s Dr. Phil Goodyear, is currently advancing research to use oceanographic data and information recovered from earlier satellite tagging research to predict Atlantic blue marlin distributions in time (month, year,…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced the closure of the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category for giant “trophy” bluefin tuna (measuring 73″ or greater) in the southern…
Today, the National Park Service announced its final General Management Plan (GMP) for Biscayne National Park. Despite commitments made by Biscayne National Park officials to work with stakeholders and the…
Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization contains major provisions benefitting recreational fishing A coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community congratulated the U.S. House of Representatives on its passage of…
Anglers who are lucky enough to come across any bluefin tuna this year should make sure they know the new regulations this season. The passage of Amendment 7 brings new regulations for…
Rostrum: a funny word used by scientists to describe the “upper jaw prolonged into a long stout spear with round cross-section.” To anglers, it’s known as a bill and is…
We are asking some of the top captains in the world for some of their tricks/tips, and this month, Capt. Chris Sheeder from Casa Vieja Lodge, a Tag & Release Program…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) kept a promise made at the National Recreational Fishing Summit, February 2014, by its leader, Eileen Soebeck, Assistant Administrator in September 2014, when it…
By Capt. Scott Leon from Sandman Fishing team There are two approaches to rigging kite baits that both have their positives and negatives making the choice ultimately up to each…
Family Fun Fest at Biscayne Bay National Park The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is always looking for new avenues to engage the public on its programs, especially young people. TBF had…
Very much like NASCAR or a professional sports team, large investment opportunities and top notch fishing skills are heading offshore with the creation and launching of the Offshore Fishing League…
Whether it is billfish, tuna, or sharks, fishing for HMS species means finding blue water far offshore from the dock. Venturing offshore and pursuing big game fish requires larger boats,…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released the final regulations for the domestic management of western Atlantic bluefin tuna with Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan. Anglers…
NOAA Fisheries recently held a National Town Hall Meeting in Mid July as well as several webinars seeking input on the development of the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy. Put…
Washington, D.C. – June 26, 2014 – After significant objection from the recreational fishing and boating community, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has taken steps to correct a key…
Historically, the saltwater recreational fishing community and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have not always had a great relationship. Over the years this has changed and NOAA has…
Washington, D.C. – Congress is currently revising the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs our nation’s marine resources. Recreational saltwater anglers and the sportfishing and boating…
On January 10,The Billfish Foundation (TBF) submitted official comments to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for Draft Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for…
TBF's Winthrop P. Rockefeller's Student Ocean Intern Program awards students who support billfish conservation and believe in responsible fisheries management.
