The National Marine Fisheries Service announced Tuesday that they rejected a petition to list the Pacific bluefin tuna as an endangered species. A long list of environmental organizations combined efforts…
When a Sea Shepherd boat cruised into Panama’s waters of the Coiba Special Zone of Marine Protection more than what meets the eye was at play. The U.S. environmental organization’s…
Appointed in June with support from over 55 commercial fishing companies and organizations, the new Assistant Administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has a number of pressing issues…
July 21, 2017 – Today Australia’s government released five Draft Management Plans for the Marine Parks within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, a UNESCO designated World Heritage site. The…
Interns from The Billfish Foundation spent Thursday morning at South Broward High School with a group of incoming freshmen who are part of the marine magnet program. These students have…
As fisheries regulations develop, there is often the need for enforcement of compliance—enforcing gear restrictions, enforcing size limits, enforcing the return of non-target species, and ultimately enforcing the law. Ensuring…
Welcome to our Did You Know blog! Billfish and related species, like tuna and swordfish, are amazing creatures and set themselves apart from other fish. The Billfish Foundation would like…
We may still be highlighting last year’s award winners, but the Tag & Release Competition update as it stands. Don’t forget, these positions will be shifting constantly until the final…
Today, 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…
Seafood is big business. Not only is it an industry that exchanges billions of dollars in trade globally, but the sector also trades an abundance of resources that contribute to food…
The National Marine Fisheries serviced announced that the recreational bluefin tuna harvest in the Gulf of Mexico has reached its quota and will close June 7, 2017 until the end of the…
The quota for bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico has been updated after a large individual was landed in a fishing tournament last week. Katie Gonsoulin pulled in a…
On May 18, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced Section 396, an amendment to the 2012 Billfish Conservation Act. The bill, initially introduced in February by U.S.…
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced Monday that Japan has joined 57 other States in signing on to the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). Entered into force…
The Fishery Commission in Panama is striving to close waters around Montuosa Island and the Hannibal Bank to recreational fishing even though those areas include some of the most productive…
Two new lifetime achievement awards have been added to TBF’s annual recognition of excellence in advancing billfish conservation. The first new award is the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Individual Lifetime Achievement…
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has begun a Scoping Process to consider allowing giant trawlers to increase their excessive landings of forage species off the Mid-Atlantic region, specifically chub (Tinker)…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has adjusted the Atlantic bluefintuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will close the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery for large medium and giant “trophy” BFT (measuring 73” or greater) in the southern…
TBF proudly announces the selection of South Florida native Dennis Friel as its 2017 Artist of the Year. “Combustion” by Dennis Friel Dennis fondly recalls “as a kid growing up…
NMFS released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Amendment 5b to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan in mid- February, 2017. A new Preferred Alternative (A6d) “requires…
The 2012 Billfish Conservation Act (BCA) has yet to be implemented and again is under Congressional review to attempt to resolve debated language so no Pacific billfish can be imported…
The NMFS has extended the deadline to March 29, 2017 for accepting public comments on the application for an Exempted Fishing Permit. If approved, six pelagic longline vessels will fish for three…
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…
If you ask any serious offshore angler where the best billfish action in the world is, chances are Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL) and Guatemala are one of the first answers…
Three of our youngest members from Massachusetts recently stopped by our offices to drop off a donation to The Billfish Foundation (TBF) that they procured earlier this year. Miles Buddenhagen,…
On February 13, 2014 The Billfish Foundation honored conservation achievements at the 2014 Tag and Release Ceremony held at Miami’s Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom in front of a crowd of more than…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is proud to announce that Casa Vieja Lodge is TBF’s newest Tag and Release Program partner. They join King Sailfish Mounts, Pelagic Gear, and Bisbee’s Black…
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…
The Billfish Foundation is proud to announce the Award Winners for the 2013 Tag and Release Competition. This year TBF received nearly 7,500 tag and release reports from all over…
We asked for some of your best fishing videos and man did you guys respond! Each month, TBF and TrollPro.com would love to see your fishing videos and you could win a…
In October, the students in South Broward High School’s Marine Policy class participated in their annual mock debates about billfish policy as they worked together to create a management plan…
Russell Nelson, The Billfish Foundation’s Chief Scientist and a former leader of the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission, has passed away. His unexpected death is a loss to those who knew…
Look for TBF at the 54th edition of The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show(FLIBS) running from Thursday, October 31st – Monday November, 4th. FLIBS promoters forecast this year’s event to…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has adjusted the Atlantic bluefintuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will close the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery for large medium and giant “trophy” BFT (measuring 73” or greater) in the southern…
NMFS released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Amendment 5b to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan in mid- February, 2017. A new Preferred Alternative (A6d) “requires…
The 2012 Billfish Conservation Act (BCA) has yet to be implemented and again is under Congressional review to attempt to resolve debated language so no Pacific billfish can be imported…
The NMFS has extended the deadline to March 29, 2017 for accepting public comments on the application for an Exempted Fishing Permit. If approved, six pelagic longline vessels will fish for three…
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern…
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern…
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) recently submitted comments to the proposed regulations included in Amendment 5b to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan – regarding the reduction of…
On December 12th, The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) submitted official comments on Pacific Bluefin Tuna (PBFT) being potentially listed in the Endangered Species Act. Learn why PBFT potential listing would be…
The FMC is accepting public comment on its consideration of harvest specifications under an Exempted Fishing Permit for highly migratory fish caught by longline vessels fishing within the U.S. West…
TBF’s Gulf of Mexico Blue Marlin Satellite Tagging Expedition, staged out of Port Eads, which is 84.5 miles south of New Orleans, 24 miles south of the southernmost road in…
The Billfish Conservation Act, which was signed into law in October 2012 with the intent of prohibiting the sale of billfish or billfish products, has not yet been implemented by…
COAST magnet program students at Cutler Bay Senior High School identify themselves as “Tiger Sharks” and focus their studies on marine and environmental conservation leading to responsible stewardship and sustainability…
The Billfish Foundation’s newest International Billfish Conservation Record is now available digitally! The Conservation Record includes the 2014 Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, summary of all tag, release & recapture…
The three words “Our Florida Reefs” currently generate more angst with Florida anglers than most any others. The reason, fear that all fishing in large swaths of state waters that…
This summer’s Gulf of Mexico’s tournament season began “white hot” with good numbers of marlin, including large ones, and bluefin tuna, which presented unexpected excitement for anglers in the region.…
NMFS Adjusts the General Category Daily Retention Limit for June-August 2016 to Five Fish May 11, 2016 Courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is…
The South East Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), coordinated under Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, momentum is driven by a tax exempt organization 501 (c) (3)…
Courtesy of National Marine Fisheries Service April 20, 2016 Today National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces adjustments to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in…
Effective as of 11:30 p.m. (EST), April 10, 2016 the Angling category for large medium and giant “trophy” bluefin tuna (73” or greater) in the southern area (see image below)…
The Billfish Foundation regularly represents recreational interests and discusses issues surrounding management of billfish and tuna here in US Atlantic waters. This past month, a number of important topics including…
Due to popular demand of our current regional awards in South Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, TBF is excited to announce the expansion of our regional competitions to include Cape Verde and the Hawaiian Islands. These…
Photo Courtesy of Brian Toney The Hawaiian Islands are undoubtedly a special place for many reasons. In the eyes of many anglers, it is unique for being the only place…
The Billfish Foundation is pleased to make available our annual Conservation Record, noting 2013 Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients, 2013 Tag & Release Competition winners, and data analysis from this year’s…
TBF's Winthrop P. Rockefeller's Student Ocean Intern Program awards students who support billfish conservation and believe in responsible fisheries management.
Which Way Will New Head of NMFS Sway On Longline Closed Zone?