2024 TBF Gala Recap
The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) annual fundraiser took on a whole new dimension this year, with a Wild West theme that transported guests into a world of outlaws, cowboys, and frontier elegance. Held at the stunning Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa on Friday, November 1st, the evening was an unforgettable journey back in […]
Announcing TBF’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
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 Lifetime Achievement Awards are named in honor of distinguished people who made exemplary contributions to advancing billfish research and conservation throughout their lives. This award is named in honor of John Rybovich, a former TBF board member and trailblazer in billfish conservation. As a founder of the Sailfish Conservation Club, the all-release Master’s Angling Tournament, the Tournament of Champions, and the Gold Cup, Rybovich focused on setting a standard
TBF Announces our Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
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 Angling Tournament, the Tournament of Champions, and the Gold Cup to raise funds for conservation. With his brothers, Emil and Tommy, the family business developed the first offshore sportfishing boat equipped with a tower, outriggers, fighting chair, transom door, and big engines. This year’s recipient: Charles Perry, known worldwide as a renowned blue water angler, captain with a 100-ton license, but is best known as the “greatest heavy-tackle wireman
2021 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Announced
We at The Billfish Foundation are pleased to announced the winners of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. The award is named in honor of a former board member and pioneer in billfish conservation, who founded the Sailfish Conservation Club, the Masters Angling Tournament, the Tournament of Champions and the Gold Cup to raise funds for conservation. With his brothers, Emil and Tommy, the family business developed the first offshore sportfishing boat equipped with a tower, outriggers, fighting chair, transom door and big engines. This year’s recipient: JOHN BROWNLEE is a former TBF board member having served as
2020 Virtual Gala Recap
The Billfish Foundation’s first ever Virtual Gala ended Friday, October 30th, after weeks of build-up and excitement! Beginning October 16th, TBF supporters joined in to support billfish conservation online with our raffle and costume contest. On October 23rd, the real fun began with the opening of our online auction! With items varying from fishing trips to electronics to jewelry and more, there was truly something for everyone. Participants bid all week long to score amazing deals on incredible prizes, all for the great cause of billfish conservation! The excitement came to a head on Friday, October 30th at 6
Winners of The Billfish Foundation’s Most Prestigious Awards Announced
The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) staff proudly announces the winners of its most prestigious awards for 2020. This year’s winners include three distinguished gentlemen, who made exemplary contributions to advancing billfish research, conservation and sportfishing throughout their lives. THE WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD honors TBF’s Founding Member, a well-known angler, philanthropist and owner, at the time, of Allied Marine in Miami, who established billfish science and youth education as the organization’s cornerstones. This year’s winner is Roy Merritt of Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works in Pompano Beach, Florida, whose family’s contributions to building fine sportfishing yachts began
TBF’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
The Paxson H. Offield Lifetime Science Achievement Award The award is named in honor of a former TBF board member, who believed passionately in the value of science to support responsible conservation and management. Offield’s support of billfish science guaranteed TBF’s billfish advocacy remained firmly grounded in science, as it remains today.  Offield was the first among TBF trustees to deploy satellite tags with collected data now being incorporated into stock assessments. This year’s recipient is Dr. Fredy Arocha, a professor at the Instituto Oceanografic de Venezuela, University of Oriente, Venezuela, who has invested over three decades to advancing
