Tag Archives: The Billfish Foundation

The Billfish Foundation: How Anglers Can Help With Marine Conservation

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There is a new buzz word going around the scientific community that is changing the way we view our roles in helping to better manage our precious resources. I am referring to the term ‘citizen scientist’ which allows anyone to take an active role in aiding scientists in the collection of important information which otherwise would not be possible. Though this concept has recently been becoming more popular, organizations like The Billfish Foundation (TBF) have been conducting such a program for more than 20 years through its tag and release program. Anglers taking participating in the tagging program have helped to provide critical information that is essential to TBF’s goal of conserving these amazing species like marlin, swordfish and sailfish for generations to come.

So why is this such a big deal? Since encountering these species is rare, TBF established the Tagging Program in 1990. TBF is proud to now hold the largest private billfish tagging database (close to 200,000 tag and release reports) because of efforts from the recreational community. Being dependent on the efforts of citizen scientist in the form of recreational anglers shows that anglers really care about the resources they are so passionate about and are willing to give back. It is through the information collected from our tagging program that provides the governing bodies with crucial information such as growth rates, longevity, migratory patterns, habitat utilization, and for stock assessment of billfish. Anyone can participate since the tags are inexpensive and effective; they just need to purchase tagging equipment from their local tackle shop or TBF’s website. A full kit of tagging equipment (tags, tag cards, tag bag, tag stick and applicator) costs about $75. The low cost and the ease of reporting the data (via mail or online) allows TBF’s traditional tagging program to annually receive over 10,000 tag and release records worldwide.

TBF’s Tag and Release Program receives about 100 recaptured tagged billfish reports a year and is proud to have some of the highest recapture rates because of the cooperation of the recreational community. One of the most exciting aspects of the program is when a recapture of a tagged billfish is reported and seeing what secrets it has to reveal. For even those who study these amazing creatures it is still astonishing to learn of some of the amazing feats they are capable of. For instance, this year a swordfish was recaptured more than 2500 miles from where it was tagged in matter of only 7 months and a white marlin that was recaptured after being abroad for more than 14 years after being tagged!

By allowing everyone to participate in research, not only does it allow TBF to receive a large amount of data each year but the participants feel connected to “their” fish, wonder where it will end up, and who might encounter it next. While most of our recapture reports are based in the Atlantic Ocean, TBF receives reports from the Pacific and the Indian Ocean (including Japan and Australia). The global success of TBF’s Tag and Release Program has been through its evolution and creating new excitement in tagging billfish. TBF engages program participants by making the data transparent – posting recaptured tag maps on Facebook, Twitter, and on the website in addition to contacting and rewarding everyone involved in the recaptured billfish. TBF encourages more anglers to tag billfish since traditional tagging data provided still provides up to 70 percent of what is known about billfish.

If you are interested in learning more about TBF’s Tag and Release Program or would like to purchase tagging equipment, please visit us at www.billfish.org or contact us at (800) 438-8247 or tag@billfish.org.

Peter Chaibongsai
Rosenstiel School Alumnus – MAF 2007
Director of Science and Policy
The Billfish Foundation

Michael Kelly
Rosenstiel School Student & TBF Intern
Master of Professional Science: Marine Conservation
The Billfish Foundation

Student Has “Once in a Lifetime” Experience in Guatemala

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The sheer power of a blue marlin and the acrobat skills of a pacific sailfish caught on light gear are some of the most exhilarating feats an angler can encounter, but the fast runs and jaw-dropping aerial jumps are something that every ocean love can appreciate. As an intern with The Billfish Foundation and a second year Marine Affairs and Policy student, I had the opportunity in November to take a short break away from my research and head to Guatemala to fish in the Presidential Challenge of Central America — a tournament series that generates $25,000 dollars a year for billfish conservation.

Team Billfish Foundation aboard the Intensity with Captain Mike Sheeder


Despite the fact that Guatemala is one of the only places in the world you can “pitch bait” sailfish and blue marlin, the amount of wildlife in addition to billfish in Guatemala is absolutely incredible. On the practice day of the tournament, the boat counted over 100 olive ridley sea turtles and during the following three days I was fortunate enough to see a humpback whale breach three times and spinner dolphin schools that stretched for as far as the eye can see.

Hooked up!

While my Spanish skills are not where they should be after countless years of Spanish in school, the phrase “san cocho” will be something that haunts me for some time. The “art” of pitch baiting can only be done in a handful of locations around the world because of the aggressive nature and abundance of billfish present—Guatemala is one of those. Rather than having hooked baits being trolled behind the boat, only teasers are used to attract fish up into the “spread” (If you were a fish looking up at what the boat was dragging, that would be the spread – all the lures and teasers the boat pulls. The purpose is to attract fish and look like baitfish that are running away). Once a fish is spotted in the spread, the captain will call out which teaser the billfish is trying to eat and at that point in time, it is the job of one of the anglers to “pitch” a ballyhoo (type of baitfish, most are caught off of south florida and then shipped all over the world) to the hungry and angry billfish that cannot seem to kill the plastic teasers. Once the sailfish eats and realizes that it is hooked up, it will immediately sky rocket and start a series of jumps and hard runs. Circle hooks are exclusively used in the sailfish fishery in Guatemala to improve the post release survivability of the fish because they hook the fish in the corner of the mouth rather than the stomach and are ultimately a conservation tool used by recreational anglers to ensure the health of the stock.

Pacific Sailfish About to swim away with a new tag

All in all, the tournament was a great success and Team Billfish Foundation finished in third place despite having mechanical problems on the second day of the tournament. The opportunity to do something like this as an intern at The Billfish Foundation was an extraordinary experience. Never did I think I would have the opportunity to take a break from my research (determining the socioeconomic benefits of billfish anglers in the Gulf of Mexico) to fish in one of the world’s premier fisheries.

To read more about the trip, visit The Billfish Foundation blog.

Andrew Cox
Marine Affairs & Policy Student
The Billfish Foundation Intern
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TBF_Andrew