TBF’S TAG AND RELEASE COMPETITION NOTES:

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THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR TBF’S ANNUAL TAG AND RELEASE COMPETITION :

  1. The Billfish Foundation distributes over 15,000 tags and 7,500 release cards a year so please be patient as we process your information into our database. 
  2. Charter Owners and Captains– When sending multiple cards, please be sure to fill each individual card out completely as the cards are frequently shuffled together and information can be lost. To make things easier create a rubber stamp or use amailing label.
  3. The mail system is not perfect, remember to photocopy or write down your information before sending TBF the original card.
  4. Handwriting is always a problem for our data entry; please print all material LEGIBLY, including full name and address.
  5. If you are filling out a foreign (non-US) address please make sure that you provide the full address and postal code (if applicable).
  6. It is important to include the Latitude and Longitude of the location of the tagging/release event on the card as it is critical in giving our scientists an understanding of the movement of the billfish.
  7. Please be consistent by providing full names when filling out the cards, no nicknames, for the angler, captain, and mates.
  8. If you have changed addresses since your last card, please let us know by contacting us or by stating that on the card.
  9. If you are a junior angler (17 years old or younger) please make sure you fill out yourfull date of birth on the card.
  10. To make sure your efforts are recognized, please mail in your cards as soon as possible after tagging and/or releasing to allow your cards to be entered in a timely fashion before the competition season ends. 
  11. Specifically for the release cards, please make sure that you fill out only one card per day per angler.
  12. Additionally, please fill out how long and how many lines you put out for the day, as this helps determine the amount of effort each angler takes to catch billfish.

YELLOW TAG ISSUE REPORT CARD

We ask you to fill out our Yellow Tag Report Card which accompanies the billfish tags and submit those immediately. These yellow report cards display the series of tag report cards that were distributed to you and are vital to track down who purchased the tags and contact them if we have any gaps in our database and/or can not find the origin of a tagged fish.

  • Please include where you purchased the tags from (TBF, retail store or tournament).
  • Provide at least one way we can contact you (either phone, fax or email).
  • Please remember to print legibly on the cards so we can read and process the cards.