2018 Recreational Atlantic Billfish Landings Updates
The table below provides the total number of billfish (January 1, 2018, through, December 31, 2018) landings in numbers of fish for Atlantic blue and white marlin,
Recreational Billfish Landings Update
The table below provides preliminary 2018 (January 1, 2018 through September 30, 2018) landings in numbers of fish for Atlantic blue and white marlin, roundscale spearfish, and western Atlantic sailfish. With most of the billfish tournaments are complete now, we can see as stated in a previous post, that the recreational community will be well below not only the 250 quota but should be below the 2017 numbers. Landings are compiled using self-reported angler reports from the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database; tournament landings from the Atlantic Tournament Registration & Reporting (ATR)
Analysis of Minimum Length for Blue Marlin Tournaments
The Billfish Foundation’s newest Winthrop P. Rockefeller Ocean Program intern, Nick Becker, a recent graduate from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, worked with blue marlin tournaments out of the Gulf of Mexico for his thesis. His project was to evaluate the size minimums on harvested blue marlin. In order to be harvested, blue marlin must meet the federal size minimum of 99 inches in length. While most blue marlin tournaments have larger size minimums than the federal minimum; however, in some cases, there is room for improvement. Specifically, Nick’s master’s thesis, in conjunction with Dr. Grant
Atlantic Billfish Recreational Landings Update
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just released their preliminary 2018 (January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018) landings in numbers of fish for Atlantic blue and white marlin, roundscale spearfish, and western Atlantic sailfish. While many tournaments had not happened yet, we still believe that the recreational community will be well below our annual quota for billfish landed. Landings are compiled using self-reported angler reports from the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database; tournament landings from the Atlantic Tournament Registration & Reporting system; catch card reports from North Carolina and Maryland; and individual
Passing of a Legend – Capt. Ron Hamlin
Hamlin was recognized not only for his expertise at placing anglers from all over the world on billfish, but also for his contributions to billfish conservation. His expertise at the helm won him awards year after year, including the Billfish Foundation’s Top Captain Award, for which he stopped competing. After landing billfish for years during the early part of his career, he later recognized that continuation of his profession depended upon the availability of healthy stocks of fish in the water for clients to catch. He turned to catch and release fishing and became a voice for billfish conservation
Sargassum Invasion
Weed, Weed – too much of a good thing? Offshore anglers know seeing and fishing a floating Sargassum weed line is a good thing for it they usually are very productive for catching dolphin fish and, if lucky, possibly a marlin. Sargassum is a brown-green microalga, or seaweed, which provides habitat for a significant variety of marine species, particularly juveniles seeking shelter from larger prey species. The structure of the Sargassum plant, includes a stem or stipe attached lateral branches with slender leaves and some have berry-like bladders that fill with air and provide buoyance. The weed plants often
Tag & Release Competition Update
Our annual Tag & Release competition is about 3/4 over and we will crown this year’s winners later this year at our Tag and Release Award Ceremony in February. We are highlighting the “Top Five” in many of the competition categories. This list constitutes the tag and release records processed by TBF as of July 16, 2018. We will post an updated version soon with the regional competitions. Do you know anyone on there? Are you in the top five and want to be recognized by the who’s who in the billfishing community at our ceremony? The end
2017 Recreational Billfish Landings Posted
The National Marine Fisheries Service this week released its fourth quarter update on 2017 recreational billfish landings, rounding out landing estimates for the year. These landing numbers come from a variety of sources including self-reported angler reports from the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database, as well as tournament landings from the Atlantic Tournament Registration and Reporting system, catch card reports from North Carolina and Maryland, and individual billfish intercepted by the Large Pelagic Survey and Marine Recreational Information Program. Estimates may change due to late reporting. The U.S. recreational billfish fishery is limited
Did You Know?
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 to share some of the most interesting facts and stories involving these fish. What are some of the things that surprised you about these magnificent animals? #didyouknow Did you know that traditional tagging is not the only kind of tagging that TBF does? If you have followed us for a while, you may have heard us talk about satellite tagging, but what exactly is it, and how is it
