Established in 1990, The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Program is the largest private billfish tagging database in the world and the cornerstone of TBF’s conservation and advocacy efforts. With more than 280,000 tag and release reports thus far, TBF receives thousands of tag and release records annually from across the globe. It’s important to note this data is completely open-sourced, meaning anyone can use it! The data gathered from recaptured billfish provides valuable scientific data to further understand growth rates, migratory patterns, habitat utilization, and post-release survival rates, all of which are invaluable in terms of billfish conservation.
Organizations that make our Tag and Release Program possible.
Sponsor Since 2015
Sponsor Since 2021
Sponsor Since 2010
Sponsor Since 2015
Sponsor Since 2010
Sponsor Since 2013
Sponsor Since 2015
Sponsor Since 2014
The success of TBF’s Tag & Release program is attributed to the dedicated anglers, captains, and mates around the globe that voluntarily tag, release, and report their billfish catches. The deployment of traditional tags provides the groundwork for conservation-minded policy, scientific advancement, and gives insight into the demographics and socio-economic benefits generated from billfishing. This valuable data, much of it impossible to measure without the use of traditional tagging, provides essential information for stock assessments, which is instrumental in a time when industrial longlines represent the largest source of marlin mortality.
Captains and anglers on the water represent the first line in billfish conservation, illustrating a direct link between catch and release fishing and marine conservation. To recognize their efforts, TBF hosts an annual International Tag & Release Competition, which is capped off with an annual awards ceremony. TBF believes it’s important to recognize our members who not only catch and release a great number of fish, but also embody and share a common conservation ethic.
Please see the options below on how to get more involved with TBF’s Tag & Release Program, including creating a free profile with our tagging database!
Fish On! As part of TBF’s Tag & Release Program, TBF’s worldwide Tag & Release Competition runs each year from November 1st through October 31st of the following year. Anyone is welcome to submit their tags for free through our online database or via mail, but to be eligible to receive an award at the annual awards ceremony, you must be a TBF member.
This competition would not be possible without the dedicated captains, anglers, and mates who voluntarily submit this billfish data to TBF. Without their help, much of what we know today about billfish, including age, growth, movements, distribution and stock structure would not be known. To learn more about TBF’s Tag & Release Program, click here.
Información en Español – Descargar Ahora
Fish On! As part of TBF’s Tag & Release Program, TBF’s worldwide Tag & Release Competition runs each year from November 1st through October 31st of the following year. Anyone is welcome to submit their tags for free through our online database or via mail, but to be eligible to receive an award at the annual awards ceremony, you must be a TBF member.
This competition would not be possible without the dedicated captains, anglers, and mates who voluntarily submit this billfish data to TBF. Without their help, much of what we know today about billfish, including age, growth, movements, distribution and stock structure would not be known. To learn more about TBF’s Tag & Release Program, click here.
Información en Español – Descargar Ahora
Although we encourage our community to turn their efforts toward billfish conservation, we also accept data on a limited number of other Highly Migratory Species (HMS), specifically bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna.
Please note that while we appreciate efforts to tag any pelagic species, TBF is only interested in billfish and tuna species being tagged, specifically with TBF tags. If you catch a tuna and plan to tag and release it, you still must follow proper tagging procedures to ensure the wellbeing of the fish. As always, make sure to record as much information as possible before submitting your tag cards and try to submit all data in a timely manner.
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