BILLFISH magazine v3 2014

2014 Volume 3

The Billfish Foundation’s Sportfishing Conservation Magazine

Yamaha Marine Group

Fish Conservation Leader

2014 CONSERVATION RECORD Now Available!

SoFlo Sailfish Circuit

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Sat. Nov. 1, 2014 - TBF’s Enchanted Forest Masquerade Ball Fundraiser. Buy tickets now at Billfish.org

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Lake Charles Prairieville

On the cover Photographer and angler, Sam Root of SaltyShores.com, caught this great shot of a swordfish being tagged by Capt Brandon Muller out of Duck Key, Florida.

Ellen Peel President

In this issue 8

TBF Team Elizabeth Black Management Assistant

TBF Welcomes Curtis Colgate to Board

17

Distinguished Captain’s Award - Jim Lunsford

18

Chronicles on the Water - Fishing aboard the Big Oh

21 2014 Costa Greekfest Highlights

Peter Chaibongsai Chief Science & Education Officer Deborah Cummings Membership Manager Robert Jones Chief Operating Officer Michael Kelly Science & Policy Specialist

24 Safe Handling Practices 26 International Game Fish Tournament Observers 41 Bisbee’s Launches Cabo Hurricane Relief Efforts

Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear Scientist Herbert Nanne Conservation Director, Central America Jackie Marsolais Graphic Designer

Departments 5

President’s Message

27 Education

8

Welcome Aboard

28 Advocacy

10

Tagging News

32 Science

12

Fishing Families

34

On the Docks

15

Marine Industry News

42

Anglers We Will Miss

Editor: Elizabeth Black. To advertise in Billfish, please send inquiries to Elizabeth_Black@billfish.org Billfish is owned and operated by The Billfish Foundation. All rights reserved. Copyright 2014. Printed in the USA.

5100 N. Federal Hwy. #200 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 800-438-8247 www.Billfish.org

President’s message

TBF Trustees Chairman Charles “Fin” Gaddy Vice Chair John “Jack” P. Duvall Dear TBF Friends, Now that the last quarter of the year has arrived, I hope it brings you lots of fun with football, holidays, family gatherings, boat shows and parties, starting with The Billfish Foundation’s Enchanted Forest Masquerade Ball on Saturday, November 1, at the Harbor Beach Marriott, on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Your support of this event provides funds to bridge gaps and the means to begin a new productive year at TBF! A big thank you to those who have stepped forward and helped support TBF during 2014; you are sportfishing conservation heroes! Tireless volunteers, club members, tournament crew, fishing teams and even some very young students have raised funds to support TBF this year. Our sport and the related businesses depend on the availability of billfish in the water; TBF’s effective voice and strategies are essential elements to achieve that goal.

I’m pleased to share some 2014 successes you made possible: • Deployed 14 satellite tags in Pacific waters off Costa Rica.

• Persuaded the National Marine Fisheries Service to include a separate trophy allocation of bluefin tuna for Gulf of Mexico anglers & retained current closed zones in bluefin management plan amendment.

• Influenced Bermuda not to close most of its 200 mile zone to all fishing, as environmentalists desired.

• Completed development of the TBF Tag & Release Online Database with self entry options.

• Advanced aging research for Atlantic marlin.

• Completed three years of research in the Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica monitoring &

assessing marine resources & responses following removal of shrimp trawls and gillnets.

• Provided unique learning experiences for college interns who assisted with many TBF projects.

• Supported Brazilian anglers’ campaign to protect sailfish from the growing presence of longlines.

• Supported a training program for a Caribbean fishery technician at the University of Florida.

• Joined the recreational fisheries national campaign to get a Recreational Fisheries Policy incorporated into the Nation’s primary fishery management law – Magnuson-Stevens Act. • As part of U.S. International delegation, continued to fight for U.S. right to land its quota of small Atlantic bluefin; Japan and Canada want to do away with this angling category.

• Prevailed in getting an international work shop scheduled to review Pacific mahi-mahi stock status.

• Monitoring Pacific Fishery Management Council’s plan to reduce angling bluefin tuna limits and to propose an experimental swordfish fishery off the west coast of the U.S. DON’T FORGET you still have time to SAVE TAX DOLLARS by making a year-end donation to TBF! This is a wonderfully satisfying exercise and is mutually beneficial to you and to TBF! We both can enjoy the afterglow as you make an investment to your sportfishing conservation legacy instead of sending it to Uncle Sam in taxes! You can donate online at Billfish.org.

I need your help,

Ellen Peel

President

Treasurer Scott Cooper Secretary Joan Vernon Luis L. Bacardi John Brownlee Gary J. Chouest Bennett Long- MBGFC Keith English Chris Fischer Bill Gooch Norm Isaacs Elaine “Lainey” Jones Sandra MacMillan OBBC Chase Offield Tim Simpson emeritus Francisco Rangel Castelazo Paxson Offield Don Tyson Ralph “Agie” Vicente Jack Willits Founding Chairman Winthrop P. Rockefeller 1948-2006 President Ellen M. Peel, J.D. LL.M.

TBF achieves successes worldwide to advance the conservation of billfish and associated species, to improve the status of the fish, the health of the oceans, fishing opportunities and related economies.

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Welcome Aboard Curtis Colgate TBF is pleased to welcome Curtis Colgate as a new member to its board of directors.

Curtis lives in Virginia Beach, VA, where he owns Instigator Sportfishing Charters, part of Colgate Enterprises, which fishes a 57 foot Blackwell Boatworks custom sportfishing boat out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center at Rudee Inlet.

Curtis brings fishery management experience with him having served on Virginia’s Board of Game and Inland Fisheries for 4 years, as Chairman during the last year. While in this position he led the charge to overturn an old law that prohibits hunting on Sundays. In a landslide decision by Virginia’s General Assembly, it was decided to allow hunting on Sundays on private land. Curtis is also interested in the welfare of horses and volunteers at the Blue Horse Mukwa Equine Retirement and Rescue Center. He is very active in Virginia’s politics, a local entrepreneur, and a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College.

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tagging news

Recaptures

Carol Libby Has A Record Season Over 91 days of fishing from February to August of 2014, Capt. Josh Libby and Keith Brandner, aboard the Carol Libby, raised 1,470 billfish, had 1,218 bites, and released 884 blue marlin.

Another impressive stat is an estimated 600 pound blue marlin was tagged by mates James Brown, Tony Carpenter, and Andrea MacQuade. This remarkable season was not just one for the record books, but also represents a tremendous contribution of data to help better manage and understand billfish in the region.

Capt. Josh Temple, Andrea MacQuade, Tony Carpenter, Keith Brandner, James Brown, and owner, Greg Brandner aboard the Carol Libby

Two of the blue marlin (BF554423 and BF548845) tagged on June 1st and July 2nd, 2014, were both recaptured by Ecuadorian longline vessels southwest of where they were tagged. Interestingly, both of these fish swam an average distance (straight line) of close to 19 miles a day in the same, south-southeasterly direction.

In comparison, two other blue marlin recaptured (BF554423 & BF554400) swam a west-south direction.

In just 7 months, the Carol Libby had five of their tagged blue marlin recaptured, revealing some interesting trends. Three of the blue marlin were recaptured within a month after being tagged and a fourth one (BF548687) was at large for 98 days. On average, these fish were at large for 42 days, recaptured 375 miles away from where they were tagged, and swam an average of 11 miles a day. TBF is eager to see more recaptures from the Carol Libby to share with readers in the future.

Qualifier Recaptures Over the years TBF board member and world-renowned captain, Fin Gaddy, of Qualifier Sportfishing charters, has tagged over a thousand billfish with numerous recaptures. The summer of 2014 was a banner year for Capt.

Gaddy. He reported three recaptured

10 | The Billfish Foundation

billfish all within a week of each other. What makes these recaptures fascinating is that they were different species, all tagged in September of 2013 and all recaptured within a few weeks of each other in 2014.

On September 4, 2013, Capt. Gaddy tagged six white marlin and released without tagging another three. After being caught by Karen Sealock and tagged by first mate, Chris Kubik, one of the white marlins (BF518114) was at large for 341 days and recaptured on August 11, 2014 just a short distance (roughly 60 miles) south of where it was originally tagged out of Oregon Inlet, N.C. When it was recaptured by Abby Haywood aboard the Rigged Up, Capt. Watson Caviness estimated it weighed 50 lbs.

Unlike the first recapture, the second one was recaptured at the Norfolk Canyon, 60 miles north of the “Triple Zeros� where it was tagged by Capt.

Gaddy. Caught on September 19, 2013, by Bill Reinhardt, this white marlin was at large for 310 days and recaptured on July 26, 2014.

Recaptured by Matthew Haynes with Capt. Gary Wagner, aboard the Billable Hours, the white marlin was estimated to weigh 58 lbs. and was 78 inches in length upon release.

The last recapture was a sailfish, BF518144, tagged aboard the Qualifier

tagging news

aboard Bouncer’s Dusky 33 to complete the second Royal Slam and the first Royal Slam tagged with TBF tags! TBF congratulates Scott on this fantastic accomplishment!

If you have any tagging news, share it with TBF! Send photos and stories to tbf@billfish.org and you may be featured in an upcoming issue. Make sure to keep entering your tag & release data online at tagbillfish.org.

on September 11, 2013. It was released by angler Brett Gossage and was at large for 329 days until it was recaptured in waters northwest of Havana, Cuba- a straight-line distance of more than 1,000 miles!

TBF would like to thank the crews aboard the Carol Libby, Qualifier, and all the other anglers, captains and crews who take part in our Tag & Release program. It is only through the help of these conservation-minded anglers submitting their valuable recorded data that TBF’s program is successful. Hopefully these numbers excite you and motivate you to participate in TBF’s Tag & Release program. Please contact us for more information or check out our Tag & Release database at tagbillfish.org.

Royal Slam Record

By Scott Nichols

To catch a Royal Slam in one year is an accomplishment that raises you amongst the top offshore anglers. To catch two in a single year is extremely rare. For Scott Nichols of Lake Park, Florida, the accomplishment became a reality by tackling the feat on September 12, 2014. Scott became the first documented angler to tag a Royal slam with TBF tags in just one year.

Absolutely incredible and one heck of a fishing journey! His trip began in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic on

September 21, 2013 where he released two Atlantic blue marlin aboard the Get Lit before heading to Miami to release one swordfish aboard Bouncer’s Dusky 33. He then headed to Cabo San Lucas to knock off the needed two striped marlin before heading to South Florida to release two Atlantic sailfish in the spring of 2014. A short stop in Los Suenos, he released one of the needed Pacific sailfish and from there Scott headed to Kona where he released two spearfish and one Pacific blue marlin.

He returned to Cap Cana, Dominican Republic to release two white marlin in June of 2014. In August of 2014, Scott shot across the globe to Exmouth, West Australia where he released a Pacific sailfish, two Pacific black marlin, and a Pacific blue marlin wrapping up the first Royal Slam in one year! Coming down to the wire in mid-September, Scott tagged his final swordfish out of Miami Beach, Florida

Above: Scott Nichols and Capt Bouncer Smith aboard Bouncer’s Dusky 33. Below: Scott Nichols released a swordfish aboard Bouncer’s Dusky 33.

Photo courtesy of In The Bite magazine.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 11

fishing families

Sales de La Barre

Sales de La Barre, 15 years old, from Jackson, MS, first learned to fish when he was about 4 years old. Growing up in Pass Christian, MS, fishing was a normal pastime with family and friends. It wasn’t long after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast, that the family moved to Jackson, where Sales love of fishing continued. Since those early fishing days, Sales’ fishing experiences and skills have grown significantly. In 2012, he entered the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo and took 3rd place for Freshwater Catfish and 3rd place for Freshwater Bass.

During the past few years he has enjoyed summer fishing trips that most high school students can only dream about. Sales’ dream summers come from his good fortune of having Elaine “Lainey” Jones as his godmother; she is also a TBF board member. Jones, originally from New Orleans where she learned how to fish while a member of the New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club, now resides in Kiln, Mississippi and owns a new 66 foot Viking sportfishing boat named the Mama Who, her third sportfishing boat.

The Mama Who’s fishing team is a competitive force in the tournament circuits, including the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Sales’ introduction and continued improvement in offshore fishing skills came as a direct result of the tutelage from Jones and her team. It wasn’t long before he was catching large tunas and billfish, first in the Bahamas and then Bermuda. In 2014 he won Top Junior Angler in the Bermuda Release Cup with a good sized blue marlin. When asked what he enjoys the most about Bermuda fishing, Sales said, “what’s not to love?”

Lainey Jones and Godson, Sales de La Barre.

Top Junior Angler in the 2014 Bermuda Release Cup.

When back home in Mississippi, Sales enjoys playing football on the Bruins team at St. Joseph Catholic High School. He also continues to enjoy fresh water fishing, deer hunting and kayak fishing.

catch of a lifetime Before she was in the third grade, Gillian Ricks of Quitman, TX, fell in love with offshore fishing with her family on their boat El Cazador. She caught and released her first sailfish in waters off Panama and then two years ago, while fishing in her pajamas, off the coast of Bermuda, she caught her first marlin.

In the summer of 2014, Gillian returned to Bermuda, in search of a large billfish.

Her quest was realized when a blue marlin took the bait one morning and made a spectacle behind the boat as the reel screamed. Gillian jumped into the fighting chair, independently set the

12 | The Billfish Foundation

hook and fought the blue for an hour and twenty minutes without assistance.

Her father, Sail, said “it’s an emotional struggle to just stand back and not help your child when you know the difficulty of their challenge, but this was hers to win and we knew that she was capable and determined. We are very proud of her.” The fish weighed 336.3 pounds and qualified her for a world record in her age group. “My arm was hurting but when I knew the fish was big enough, I just kept reeling”, explained the bashful eight year old girl at the weigh station in front of reporters, photographers and cheering spectators.

Gillian Ricks fighting for her catch aboard El Cazador.

The Billfish FoundatioN proudly presents the

2015 International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony February 13, 2015 at the Treetop Ballroom, Jungle Island, Miami, FL $40/ticket or $500/VIP Table • Purchase tickets online at billfish.org or contact tag@billfish.org

For more information, please call The Billfish Foundation (954) 938-0150

Marine industry news

TBF Board Member Chouest Buys Westport Shipyards Building big boats is not new for the Chouest family The Louisiana-based TBF board member and ship builder Gary Chouest recently purchased the luxury yacht builder, also North America’s largest yacht builder, Westport Shipyard, Inc. Westport’s shipyards are located in Washington State, but also have a sales office and marina in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Westport Shipyard Inc is now named Westport, LLC, an affiliate of Edison Chouest Offshore of Cut Off, LA. The late Edison Chouest, Gary’s father, launched the family’s marine business 50 years ago when he used his shrimp boat to service offshore oil rigs. That business became Edison Chouest Boat Rental and subsequently grew into Edison Chouest Offshore group of companies, which has shipyards in the USA and Brazil that build vessels for the offshore gas and oil industry. American Custom Yachts, based in Stuart, Florida and under the leadership of the legendary yacht builder Dominick

LaCombe, is the Chouest family company that designs and builds custom sportfishing boats.

American Custom Yachts

“Similar to the history of the Chouest family business, Westport began five decades ago with a fishing fleet, and has diversified into many other core businesses, focusing on customer satisfaction and the pursuit of excellence,” said Gary Chouest. “We are pleased to join the Westport family, and look forward to pursuing the synergies that exist between the Chouest companies, ACY, and Westport.” It was reported that Westport’s management team, including President Daryl Wakefield and General Manager Dave Hagiwara, will remain in place.

Three generations of the Chouest family are known today throughout the billfishing community as great anglers and competitors fishing on board the Freedom, the Patriot, the CHACH or on their new 90 foot C’Est La Vie, named after the boat owned by the late Edison Chouest.

The size gap between sportfishing yachts and mega yachts appears to be shrinking.

Marine industry news

Yamaha Marine Group

A Strong Fish Conservation Leader Management knows good conservation pays

Phil Dyskow, Immediate Past President, Yamaha Marine Group, uses a visual aid to describe the conservation efforts of recreational anglers during the 2014 Kenai Roundtable on National Recreational Fishing.

Most anglers are accustomed to reading messages from fish conservation groups on a variety of issues and at times with differing strategies. But how many times have you heard a marine manufacturer, an engine manufacturer to be specific, take a leading position in the fishery conservation policy arena?

Meet the Yamaha Marine Group led by President Ben Speciale, who took the helm in 2010 when their former president Phil Dyskow retired. Dyskow is credited with planting the fishery conservation seed at Yamaha Marine Group, which is now being further cultivated

by Speciale and his team.

Dyskow remains active with the company by serving as Senior Advisor to Speciale and continues his very active schedule on numerous recreational fisheries advisory boards. To round out the Yamaha Marine Group’s

16 | The Billfish Foundation

conservation team, Speciale assigned Martin Peters, who has been with the company for 9 years, to head up the company’s Government Relations, which includes fishery management!

Peters also retained two lobbyists and an assistant, Austin Roebuck, to support Yamaha Marine Group’s Advocacy System.

Yamaha Marine Group’s President Ben Speciale

Yamaha, known for its leadership with a variety of technological applications, is also applying technology to conservation.

In June 2014, the company launched an online tool – Yamaha Marine Advocacy –to simplify the process for boat dealers and builders to reach out to their representatives on Capitol Hill.

Speciale, said “We

want to make sure Congress hears the voices of our Yamaha Marine Group dealers and boat builders. Their voices are important to our collective, long-term success. Their individual businesses are the life blood of the marine industry. Our dealers and boat builders provide the vital jobs and economic activity that matter to any member of Congress.”

Peters crafted the Marine Group’s first comprehensive government relations strategy and this summer produced the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) Roundtable conference in Alaska (see page 28).

Separately Peters noted Yamaha Marine Group’s other top priority on Capitol Hill is “capping ethanol blended fuel at 10 percent.” Higher levels lead to damage to engines and fuel lines.

We applaud Yamaha Marine Group for taking a giant step forward to set the recreational fishing and boating industry’s conservation standard, a great example for other recreational fishing industry businesses.

Marine industry news

Distinguished Captains Award presented to Jim Lunsford

In a 2006 interview, Lunsford contributed his long and successful relationship with Billups, to “mutual respect and trust for one another that grew over the years to include far more than the boat and fishing. We were an

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On May 7, 1965 Lunsford and Billups met to hammer out contract terms for the captain’s job, which included Billups saying, “If we get along on this trip, I’d like you to stay for the summer…then let’s see how it goes and we will take it from there.” So much for the details and fine print of a contract! Obviously they got along on that first trip and for the next 47 years Lunsford captained for three generations of Billups, with a 45 foot Hatteras, a 53 foot Hatteras and a 58 foot Monterey. They fished in Mexico, Australia, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and all along the Gulf Coast. With Lunsford at the helm, the Billups were real tournament contenders, winning their fair share, including the Gulf Coast Master’s Tournament with two tagged blue marlin on fifty-pound test line.

Top row left to right. Sonny Middleton (Dog River Marina) Artist Marty Wilson, Captain Jim Lunsford, Walter Billups, Guy Billups III, Bottom row Reggie Johnson, Jimmy Lunsford, Kirby Lunsford and Gary Lunsford

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Jim Lunsford’s journey as a captain began out of Boynton Beach, Florida where he was considered a “hotshot go-getter.” At the age of 29 he began a five year journey as captain of the Seamist. His real life adventure as a private boat captain began in 1965 when Guy Billups, a Mississippian, called and informed Lunsford he was transitioning from a 23 foot Thunderbird to a 41 foot Hatteras and needed the new boat delivered from North Carolina to New Orleans. The New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club had been established just four years earlier and Billups was right in the middle of their action fishing out of Port Eads.

cOo lL Ff O o Ff M Ee XxIiC

CAPTAIN JIMMY LUNSFORD

extended family.” When asked what advice he would give young captains today, he replied “do the absolute best you can, pay attention to detail and remember the owner has a lot invested in the boat and equipment, and he wants to catch fish. The captain has the additional responsibility for the safety of all on board. This is serious business, not just a ride. It is work, so be a professional. When you make a mistake, admit it to the owner and

learn from your error. On the other hand, you should be treated with respect and as a professional. Owners should also be mindful of days away from home. Be honest with one another.

If the job doesn’t fit, then be professional in giving the owner a reasonable notice, though I never had to give one, but each owner will be a reference for you one way or another. I had a great ride, and am still enjoying it.”

Captain Jim Lunsford’s service, integrity and professionalism stands the test of time and sets a very high standard for other captains. The professional attributes he brought to the sportfishing industry and adhered to over decades serve as the basis for being presented The Billfish Foundation’s Distinguished Captain’s Award for the Gulf of Mexico – 2014.

Grandson Jimmy Lunsford Jr. hosted a party with friends and relatives to celebrate Captain Jim’s recognition.

Artist Marty Wilson contributed to the celebration by giving Captain Jim a custom painting that included an image of the Captain, the boat he ran, and a billfish.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 17

Chronicles from the Water

Fishing with the Big OH The Big Oh team was at it again in 2014 to break their previous blue marlin release record of 330. Gray Ingram won this year’s Top Tagging Angler for Atlantic Blue Marlin and Top Release Angler for Atlantic Blue Marlin and Atlantic Sailfish.

A multiple year past award winner out of Jupiter, Florida, Gray fishes aboard his 63’ Scarborough captained by Ronnie Fields.

Fields, also a multiple year past TBF winner, took home 2014’s Top Release Captain for Atlantic Blue Marlin and Top Tagging Captain for Atlantic Blue Marlin awards.

During their second fishing season off the Cape Verde Islands, Big Oh set fire once again to Atlantic blue marlin fishing.

Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands situated in the deep Atlantic, three hundred and fifty miles off the coast of Northwest Africa, is one of the most reliable blue marlin fishing sites in the world. Living up to expectations, Ingram and team ended their incredible season in the islands releasing 404 Atlantic blue marlin, of which 226 were tagged.

Some of their highlights this year include the release of 37 blue marlin over 500 pounds and 4 blue marlin over 800 pounds. In addition, the team celebrated the capture of Big Oh’s 1,000th

18 | The Billfish Foundation

blue marlin release as a team with the current boat. Out of 72 fishing days, their top day consisted of releasing 15 of the 21 blue marlin raised. In total, the team saw 756 blue marlin between April, May and June! A fantastic fishing season for sure!!

No moment was more special for Ingram than the release of 2 triples with his son, Rodney, and grandson, Bo. “Three generations releasing three blue marlin alongside each other, not once but twice, was truly a priceless experience,” said Gray. Bo Ingram won awards for TBF’s 2014 Youth Tagging and Youth Release Divisions and was runner up for Top Tagging Angler for Atlantic Blue Marlin behind his grandfather. On his top day this season, he released 9 blue marlin, all between 200 - 350 pounds. At 13 years old, Bo is also a multiple year past TBF winner.

The team plans to continue their participation in TBF’s Tag & Release

Three generations fishing together aboard the Big Oh.

Program in 2015 in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, with Big Oh on its third season in Cape Verde and with their newest addition, Trophy Box, in Costa Rica.

To learn more about TBF’s tag & release competition, please visit Billfish.org.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 19

20 | The Billfish Foundation

Greekfest 2014 For college students, the first week of school is always one full of anxiety, with new classes and coming to the conclusion that summer is officially over. However, the University of Alabama makes sure to welcome students with one epic concert. The Greekfest committee and Costa Sunglasses hosted the 6th annual Costa Greekfest which held in the soccer stadium parking lot behind the Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi houses. More than 10,500 Alabama students turned out to “party for a purpose” and it did not disappoint those lucky enough to get tickets.

The event proceeds went to non-profit organizations that make a difference for local Alabamians.

The beneficiaries were the University of Alabama Greek Relief Fund and The Billfish Foundation (TBF). The University of Alabama Greek Relief Fund is an organization that provides relief as needed to the entire Tuscaloosa community.

TBF works with the Alabama sportfishing community and continues to fight for the conservation of billfish and to educate the public about the importance of sportfishing to local communities.

Costa gave the students a full slate of talented and diverse musical acts. The concert’s headliner was electronic dance music sensation, Cash Cash, who followed Hip-Hop artist Juicy J, and two local Tuscaloosa bands, Doctors and Lawyers and Mother Funk. This year’s concert in Tuscaloosa is one that students will not soon forget with eight foot beach balls and foam glow sticks that created a sea of color when Cash Cash took the stage. Many of the students received great items from Costa including t-shirts, stickers, and coozies. Students had a chance to win a pair of Costa sunglasses for taking pictures during the event and sending them to the two jumbotrons. Those lucky enough to get passes to the VIP student area had a separate viewing section consisting of the infamous fighting chairs, where students dueled each other for Costa goodies.

TBF thanks Costa and the Greekfest committee for selecting The Billfish Foundation as a beneficiary of the event.

We thank the University of Alabama and all the event volunteers for a successful event and great time on campus.

TBF looks forward to participating in the next Costa Sunglasses and University of Alabama event. Roll Tide!

For more information about Costa Sunglasses please visit www.costadelmar.com.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 21

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PART ARTISAN1: AL

Jr. Angle rs of AL AB AMA Recapt ure MaPS

by Nicole Besemer

Superman Spiderman and their are known for they use incredible powers and save to escape danger their friends! Well, fish have special powers too; kind of like the ones A green frogfish heroes reef. super hides in a coral have to protect danger. Many marine from themselves found ways to protect creatures have being eaten, and they in the themselves from it! fish hides itself at Above: A Stargazer predator are pretty good is an ambush sand. This fish to that swim near. small reef fish very common way and feeds on Schooling is one . You might have seen a school before and after.

Left: A Pufferfish protect themselvesof fish before in movies or pictures. is also called A school, which a just a are more fish in a shoal, can be have Also, when there are more few fish or it can together, there fish of group hundreds big fish trying eyes to see any in the group! The fish that to eat them. Some in a reason this works find to protect them you can usually mackerels, is because it school are tunas, herring, can be hard jacks, anchovies, and for predators grunts, snappers sailfish-13. fall-winter.2 to single out a 013.indd 1 many more! fish when there are so many of them.

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To learn more visit Billfish.org

Membership Application  I want to support billfish conservation as a TBF member. I have enclosed my membership payment in the following amount:

 $20*  $50  $125  $250  $500  $1,000  $2,500  $5,000  $10,000  Other $______ * Youth memberships, age 17 & under

Name _________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ City___________________________________________ State__________________________ Zip_____________ Country________________ Phone_________________________________________ Fax____________________________ Email__________________________________ Payment Method:  Visa  MasterCard  American Express  Discover  Check Account #:______________________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________________________________________ Name on Account________________________________________________ Signature______________________________________________ Members-Only T-Shirt: Youth sizes:  YXS  YS  YM ADULT:  S  M  L  XL  2XL  3XL Type of Contribution:  New  Renewal  Gift Please provide the name and address of gift giver and recipient separately if you are giving a gift membership.

Membership donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Please fill out and return with your contribution to:

The Billfish Foundation PO Box 628259 • Orlando, FL 32862-9941 800-438-8247 ext. 106 • www.billfish.org

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Saf e

Handling Practices

24 | The Billfish Foundation

Can you remember the first billfish you caught?

For those lucky enough to have caught a marlin, sailfish, or swordfish, the memory of the first billfish is perhaps one of the most coveted experiences for any angler.

For most, it’s a memory full of the smell of diesel, spray of the water, and sore arms pumping as the captain backs down on a lit up fish, greyhounding and fighting with all its might. Although a memory that will last forever, many anglers want a photo with their first billfish. Pulling billfish out of the water is illegal in U.S. Atlantic waters unless the fish is going to be harvested.

Unfortunately, more and more photos of people holding up sailfish or small marlin or stretching them across the covering boards are posted on websites, sent via social media and published in fishing magazines.

Removing billfish from the water puts additional stress on their body after the initial stress caused by the fight. Contact with the fish removes the slime that protects it from parasites and infections. Just like a person whose immune system is weakened after a hectic or traumatic experience, billfish are more susceptible to infections or diseases when stressed. A billfish’s skeleton is designed for buoyant conditions of the ocean, so when removed from the water the skeleton and internal

hooks with all natural baits, proper hook removal, and using tackle to match the size of your query. Taking the time to rig baits, spectacular boat handling, and world-class angling is all null if the fish is pulled from the water and injured.

Crocodile Bay -Paul Shields

Eric Orbesen-NOAA

organs come under the strain of gravity, which can cause serious harm to the fish.

While some research is complete on the effects non-offset circle hooks have in reducing billfish post release mortality, less research is complete on assessing effects of fight times and other fishing stressors. In studies by students at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) 22 pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on white marlin caught using circle hooks. As part of the study, blood samples were taken from the fish requiring removal of the marlin from the water. Data from the PSATs indicated that 21% of those white marlin died immediately

after release. In a separate, similar study also conducted by VIMS, 30 white marlin were tagged without being removed from the water and resulted in only 2% post release mortality. It was hypothesized that the significantly different mortality rates could be due to the additional stress put on the white marlin when removed from the water. It’s also interesting to note that the white marlin that did not survive, did not experience the longest fight times.

Researchers hypothesize that a short fight time before being removed from the water for blood samples may be equivalent to a human sprinting for as long and hard as possible, then being forced to hold their breath! Results from PSATs studies also show that it can take billfish as long as 14 days to recover and resume normal behavior.

It is well known that stress caused by fight time makes a fish more vulnerable to predation and commercial fishing pressure. Anglers should strive to keep the billfish from getting injured, especially when deploying a $4,000 PSAT, to gather valuable data. The scientists took every precaution during the research to ensure the survival of the fish, but even so some died, perhaps due to the additional stress from being hauled aboard a boat, being deprived of oxygen and having blood taken.

For anglers, the condition of the hooked billfish should be a priority. Injury can be mitigated by using non-offset, circle

If an angler wants a photo with his or her fish, TBF recommends safe handling practices be followed. Once the fish is alongside the boat, keep it in gear with the fish’s lower jaw in the water to ensure oxygenated water passes over the gills. Then the angler can lean over the gunnel while someone snaps photos.

Taking the time to ensure a safe release is the mark of a real sportsman, not just the number of flags flying from outriggers, or pictures on a wall. The next time someone wants to pull a billfish out of the water for a photo, ask that person if the photo is worth the life of the fish. A photo may be worth a thousand words, but it is not worth killing a billfish.

CFR 635.21 ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES Subpart C - Management Measures. Gear operation and deployment restrictions (a) All Atlantic HMS fishing gears.

(1) An Atlantic HMS harvested from its management unit that is not retained must be released in a manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival, but without removing the fish from the water.

(2) If a billfish is caught by a hook, the fish must be released by cutting the line near the hook or by using a dehooking device, in either case without removing the fish from the water.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 25

inTERNATIONAL GAME FISH tOURNAMENT OBSERVERS International Game Fish Tournament Observers witnessed record numbers of billfish releases in 16 international billfish tournaments during 2014, while assuring that all competing teams followed game fish tournament rules.

“We are experiencing increasingly favorable feedback from boat captains, anglers and mates, who prefer using observers rather than attempting to capture the catch and release on cameras,” IGFTO Director John Treat said.

“Using cameras doesn’t capture the whole picture. There is nothing better than having a trained, qualified and experienced International Game Fish Tournament Observer onboard to identify species, hookup, release times, and hook type as required by tournament rules and possible IGFA or local tournament rules or infractions that a camera cannot record.”

Since organizing five years ago, IGFTO observers have witnessed releases of more than 15,400 billfish during tournaments in 11 countries, including the Caribbean, US Virgin Islands, Central America and the United States. In 2014 alone, observers will verify the catches and releases of nearly 6,000 billfish.

26 | The Billfish Foundation

All IGFTO observers are certified and/or trained by the International Game Fish Association in angling rules, billfish identification, observer etiquette and are covered by liability insurance. International Game Fish Tournament Observers shared firsthand observing experiences this year during IGFA observer training courses. Both organizations are working together to promote future observer training programs.

“Using observers in the Presidential Challenge Tournaments allows us to run successful catch and release events where team members can fish together,” said Joan Vernon, director of tournaments in Aruba, Costa Rica and Guatemala.“ The onset of the use of observers was a giant step in conservation allowing many formerly ‘kill’ tournaments to convert to all release format.”

IGFTO has a pool of nearly 100 qualified observers, who are dedicated to seeing that the billfish release format is perpetuated. The organization added five tournaments to its schedule in 2014, including tournaments in Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The group also participates in tournaments in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Aruba, the US Virgin Island and the United States.

Rick Alvarez, director of International Billfish Tournaments Inc., insists observers should be used in all “release” tournaments. “Even more so in multi-species tournaments and those where gaming is involved for

the purposes of raising funds for charities, as is our case,” he said.

“Release tournaments that use video confirmation or photo confirmation run the risk of a number of rule infractions that can occur when the video camera is not rolling or when the snapshot is taken.”

IGFTO is a charitable, 501(c)3 taxexempt organization dedicated to the conservation of billfish. IGFTO supports other conservation groups, including The Billfish Foundation, and provides educational outreach programs encouraging the use of observers to protect billfish for future generations to enjoy. For more information and membership applications visit www.igfto.org.

Education

TBF Visits the 2014 national marine educators conference In July, the TBF team traveled to Annapolis, MD for the 2014 National Marine Educators Conference (NMEA). While at the annual education event, TBF gave a firsthand presentation about the Tag and Release Online Database (TROD). It was a unique opportunity to show educators from around the country how to access and use the hard scientific data collected

by TBF’s constituents and members. The TROD system allows for students and educators to get handson and analyze real data - regardless of

where they live. Some examples of how educators can use this program include measuring fishing effort in locations around the world and comparing catches with the physical properties and conditions of the oceans. We are eager to see new ways educators can creatively apply billfish science to the classroom and use it to excite and engage students.

If you have used or are using TBF’s data in the classroom we would love to hear about your experiences.

Please contact us and we may be able to feature you and your students in a future issue of our publications.

Please send all details and pictures to education@billfish.org.

Orca Fears No MAN, BEAST,Or Burden

Orcacoolers.com Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 27

Advocacy

Yamaha Marine Group Hosts recreational fishing roundtable Recently in Soldotna, Alaska, a robust discussion took place, during the 2014 Kenai Classic Roundtable on National Recreational Fishing, that focused on the economic importance of recreational fishing to the nation.

Yamaha Marine Group, the key sponsor, along with the Kenai River’s Sportfishing Association and the Kenai River Classic, deserve accolades for this precedent setting event that brought together two senators, corporate interest, press, fishing guides and anglers from a wide geographic range of the United States. The timing was important for currently underway on Capitol Hill is the re-authorization and amendment of the nation’s primary fishery management law – the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), named in part for Alaska’s beloved late Senator Ted Stevens. The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) President Ellen Peel attended the Roundtable and said “Yamaha Marine Group is distinguishing itself by helping to shape fishery management law. They see the clear nexus between good conservation and good economic business returns – no fish, no customers.”

“The economic value of recreational fishing is significant because, along

Yamaha Marine Group President Ben Speciale (left) and Yamaha Marine Past President Phil Dyskow speak with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) about the Kenai fishery during the Kenai River Classic, which preceded the roundtable.

28 | The Billfish Foundation

Senator Mark Begich(left) hears from roundtable participants on topics surrounding the Congressional reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act

with dock side businesses benefiting, it drives people to spend money on fuel and lodging or camping during their trip to wherever they are fishing,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, during the Roundtable.

Begich chairs the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, which is responsible for the MSA reauthorization, and thus a hugely important position. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined Senator Begich and four panelists in the discussion making clear her support of her state’s fisheries.

Martin Peters, Manager, Government Relations, Yamaha Marine Group said, “Senators Murkowski Martin Peters and Begich understand fisheries because their state depends upon both commercial and recreational fishing. Our task, as an industry, is to make sure all members of Congress understand the economic impact of recreational fishing, not just in coastal communities, but in every state in the U.S. Everyone in the industry - dealers, boat guilders and suppliers – must work to make this happen.”

Panel members stressed the recreational fishing industry is not asking decision makers to decide for one industry over another, but to recognize in the law the importance and needs of the recreational fishing industry to the nation. The MSA currently addresses commercial fishing in federal waters, but there is no focus for recreational fishing even though recent National Marine Fisheries Service data indicates the recreational fishing industry has an economic impact nationally that equals or is greater than that of commercial fishing.

Nation’s Primary Saltwater Fishery Law . . .

Missing Recreational Fishing Policy

The United States’ primary saltwater fishery management law for federal waters, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (commonly called the Magnuson Act), expired at the end of the government’s fiscal year 2013. The Act is now being reauthorized and amended, a process that occurs on average every 10 years. Since the expiration date, meetings have

Advocacy Map courtesy of NMFS

taken place on Capitol Hill, before National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) panels and with Senators and Representatives in their home districts.

Reauthorization is not likely during the remainder of the 2014 congressional session, but will be re-introduced early in 2015. Stay tuned for updates and be prepared to send letters when TBF calls on you. Please sign up to receive these notices on the website at billfish. org then click the Take Action block, which takes you to the page where current hot issues are reviewed. AT THE BOTTOM of that page click SUBSCRBE NOW, (free) and sign up to receive the EMAIL UPDATES. TBF needs your help on this important issue.

AMENDMENT 7 FEIS Update

fishing opportunities for US fishing interests in mind.

The Billfish Foundation is very pleased with many aspects of the Final Environmental Impacts Statement (FEIS) for Amendment 7 for Atlantic bluefin tuna. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) created a suite of alternatives that should make large conservation improvements for bluefin tuna. The focus reduces waste created by dead discards in the pelagic longline fleet while keeping the need to increase

Despite billfish not being the focus of Amendment 7, many of the preferred alternatives will have large conservation impacts for them, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. One proposed alternative, now taken off the table, in response to pressure from TBF, was conditional access into the closed zones off of Florida East Coast and the DeSoto Canyons in the Gulf of Mexico.

If approved, longline vessels that met

certain criteria would have been allowed to fish in these areas and jeopardize the conservation benefits gained since 2000 for both billfish and swordfish.

NMFS also introduced a new preferred alternative, to establish a new gear restricted area in the Gulf of Mexico for the months of April and May for longline gear. This will create conservation benefits for bluefin tuna, as well as, billfish by decreasing the bycatch of blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish by 11%, 10% and 4%, respectively. TBF pushed for at least a 3-month full Gulf of Mexico gear restricted area. This closure is a new step in the right direction for it forces commercial vessels to use alternative gear types so bycatch and discards will be reduced.

Additionally, the FEIS includes an Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) system for the pelagic longline fleet and requires the retention of all legal-sized bluefin tuna. This is an instrumental step to increase the accountability of the pelagic longline fleet by requiring each vessel to have a specified individual quota. Once a vessel reaches its quota, the vessel will be tied to the dock.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 29

Advocacy

CENTRAL AMERICA UPDATE Guatemala

In June the Government of Guatemala passed a decree, 183-2014, establishing a National Commission for the Protection of the Sailfish within their nation’s Pacific coastline. This interinstitutional commission comprised of the Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Development and the Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo (INGUAT- Board of Tourism), also created avenues to help ensure the fulfillment of the existing legal regulations under Decree 114-97 and Decree 80-2002, which prohibit the commercial fishing and distribution of sailfish.

One of the main objectives of the Commission is to actively partake in the development of working plans and programs that will help ensure the protection of the species. Additionally, the Commission will seek private, local and international funding to help develop public and private projects. The Commission invited the National Sport Fishing Association of Guatemala to contribute their knowledge of sportfishing regulations and controls to further their efforts.

Guatemala, often called the “Sailfish Capitol of the World,” holds one of the largest populations of sailfish on the planet. INGUAT’s Director, Pedro Duchez said “Sportfishing offers Guatemala the opportunity for economic development by generating income from national and international anglers enjoying our fishery. Protecting sailfish guarantees long term sustainability of the sport, the fish and the responsible enjoyment of fishing. This is an important step for the conservation of the species in Guatemala and a great example for other nations to follow!

30 | The Billfish Foundation

Right to left: The Vice Minister of agriculture ING. Sebastian Marcucci, Director of the Tourism Board of Guatemala Mr. Pedro Duchez and the Vice Minister of Defense Vice Almirante Tyron Hidalgo.

Accompanying the commissioners is Mr. Niels Ericksen from Pacific Fins.

TBF Called Upon to Update Central American Plan

The Costa Rica Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute’s (INCOPESCA) President, Gustavo Meneses, recently called upon TBF‘s Conservation Director for Central America, Herbert Nanne, to revise the draft Regional Integration Fisheries and Aquaculture document. This document will be a guiding reference to fisheries and aquaculture management throughout Central America. The draft document, originally prepared

by OSPESCA (a compact agreement between Central American nations), includes important TBF socio-economic studies, which document the large financial contributions made to the economies of Costa Rica and Panama by sportfishing ecotourism. The studies also documented the economic contributions and job creations by the sportfishing industry exceeded those from the commercial fishing industry.

New Costa Rican Administration Leaning Green The new government of Costa Rica shows signs of leaning towards environmental organizations, which raises concerns as to the priority it will give sportfishing. Over the years, the nation banned sportfishing in many protected areas, under the new leadership, these protected areas may grow. TBF has worked hard to convince past Ministries of Environment and other high level officials to open protected areas to catch and release sportfishing, but to no avail.

Costa Rica’s new government has announced plans to co-host workshops throughout the nation with an environmental organization. At these workshops the status of fisheries and aquaculture will be discussed prior to the government developing new fisheries policies.

TBF will keep you up to date on any new or altered fisheries policies developing in the Costa Rican governement. Sign up for alerts on Billfish.org.

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Science

Pacific satellite tag update In July of 2014 The Billfish Foundation continued to lead the way for billfish research by deploying 14 satellite tags off of Los Suenos, Costa Rica. Through the coordination of NOAA’s Adopt-aBillfish program, Dr. John Hoolihan successfully placed Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) on blue marlin in the eastern Pacific Ocean, fishing aboard the South Paw, owned by Bob DeGrabrielle. The crew raised a total of 88 blue marlin during the three and a half days of fishing. The PSAT tags were placed on blue marlin between 130 and 300 pounds, which will record depth, temperature, and light levels (used to determine location) at tensecond intervals. The research looks at both vertical and horizontal habitat of Pacific blue marlin and the behavior of the blue marlin caught off the newly developed FAD (Fish Attracting Device) fishery off Costa Rica. The tags are set to detach at 90 and 180 day intervals and should provide initial data on the locations and preliminary tracks of the fish in mid-October and midJanuary, respectively. Information gathered from the PSAT tags will provide migration patterns and give insight into how fish move in the water column and the impacts of the oxygen minimum zone in the eastern Pacific on blue marlin.

Brazil’s Anglers Push for Sailfish Protections While Brazil is one of a very few nations that implemented marlin regulations to help protect marlin, they often base these regualtions off international decisions.

Two of the nation’s excellent billfish scientists, Professor Alberto F. de Amorim of the Instituto de Pesca at Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de Sao Paulo and Professor Fabio Hazin at Universidad Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil, presently

32 | The Billfish Foundation

Tagged blue marlin in Costa Rica. Photo by John Hoolihan

chairing the FAO Committee on fisheries, have made significant research and management contributions for billfish and other highly migratory fish.

Recently, TBF President Ellen Peel met with Professor Amorim while in south Florida and discussed the lack of protection given to Atlantic sailfish in waters off Brazil.

Professor Alberto F. de Amorin

With commercial vessels targeting sailfish off Brazil’s southern coast where the fish aggregate to spawn, the fish are at a distinct disadvantage to the fishing pressure.

TBF contacted many of the sportfishing leaders in Brazil and urged them to take the time to try and persuade their government to act for the benefit of sailfish. If actions are not made, continued sailfishing opportunities may not be available for future generations of anglers in Brazil and off other South American coasts.

Tagged sailfish in Costa Rica. Photo by John Hoolihan

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For competition rules go to Billfish.org.

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On the the Docks On Docks New Orleans Invitational Billfish Tournament

Kona Shootout

August 3 -6, 2014 www.hawaiianbillfishseries.com

June 13-14, 2014 www.NOBGFC.com

The New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club returned to South Pass and the historical Port Eads for its 42nd Invitational. Many new members, along with several family teams, made up the fleet of 29 boats that competed in this year’s tournament.

TBF staff was in attendance to present a memorial plaque commemorating the reopening of Port Eads and announced the Club’s founder, Herman “Dutch” Prager, as one of this year’s recipients of the Rybovich Lifetime Conservation Award. Club members were thrilled.

During the two days of fishing great weather pushed the blue water in close and made for excellent fishing conditions.

When it was time to pull in lines, ten blue marlin and two white marlin had been released. First place team was awarded

Winners aboard Tia II. to the Tia II with Capt. Rick Blount for two blue and one white marlin released by top angler, Merrick Sloss. In second place on time was the Done Deal with Capt. Jason Buck with two blue marlin releases. Also on board the Done Deal was top lady angler and top youth angler, Katie Gonsoulin. Rounding out the top three teams was Michi captained by Keller Bankston.

TBF thanks tournament director Charlie Caplinger, Jacque Kuchta, and Gino Rendeiro for including TBF. Special thanks go to Jimmy Fisackerly, Pierre and Margaret Villere and the crew of the Miss Margaret for allowing Michael Kelly of TBF to ride along.

34 | The Billfish Foundation

Winning Team Rod Bender.

Team Rod Bender with local legend Capt.

Kerwin Masunaga on a 35 Cabo found the winning blue marlin in the last twenty minutes of the Hawaiian Billfish Series “Kona Shootout” Tournament.

The Rod Bender team led by Steve Spina started off slow with one tag going into the third day. On the final day, right before the “stop fishing” time, they hooked a blue marlin that came into the weigh station to tip the scales at 456 pounds. This swept the awards/ cash for first place Bodo Muche’s bronze sculpture, biggest marlin daily, high points daily, high point’s tournament, last day shootout division and crew high points award.

The Kona Shootout Billfish Foundation tag verification system was completed with the assistance of the new Garmin VIRB Elite cameras with a satellite time and date stamped video and still photos. All tagged fish were released in accordance with IGFA regulations and The Billfish Foundation’s tagging guidelines. The Hawaiian Billfish Series supports conservation and only weighs large fish that are consumed. All teams will have access to a professional video constructed by using all the onboard footage shot with the new Garmin VIRB Elite cameras.

Hatteras Marlin Club Tournament June 15-21, 2014 www.hatterasmarlinclub.com

Arguably the most family-oriented tournament of all billfish tournaments, the 55th Hatteras Marlin Club (HMC) Tournament provided great food, family fun, and camaraderie on the docks again in 2014. The HMC became the Top US Donating Club in 2012 and continued the tradition in 2013, raising significant funds for TBF’s conservation work! Again this year, the match challenge was put on the table for the Hatteras Marlin Club members and again TBF is proud to announce that the Hatteras Marlin Club is the Top US Donating Club! While relatively few in number, the members of the HMC understand the importance of billfish conservation with a focus on making sure future generations have continued billfishing opportunities.

The fleet of 44 boats filled the docks at the Hatteras Marlin Club and fished 3 of the 5 possible days with many of the boats choosing not to fish on Wednesday because of family day activities at the docks. At the conclusion of the week the fleet had released a total of 23 billfish (12 blue marlin, 10 white marlin, and a spearfish) with many other species weighed-in for the other categories.

Taking first place in the 55th Hatteras Marlin Club tournament was the crew aboard My Three Sons owned by Clint Peters with angler Mullins McLeod, who released a blue marlin on day one, a white marlin on day two, and a blue marlin on their final day of fishing for a total of 925 points.

Hatteras winning crew of My Three Sons.

Tournaments & Events Supporting TBF The team aboard B B owned by Chris Bailey took home second place after angler Jim Garrett released a blue marlin on each of the first two days of fishing.

In the individual awards, Mullins McCleod, Jessie Wilson, and Anderson Glover took home Top Male, Female, and Youth Anglers, respectively. The Billfish Foundation thanks The Hatteras Marlin Club for a great tournament and for again ‘Meeting the Challenge’ by becoming the Top US Donating Club.

Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic June 18-22, 2014 www.fishecbc.com

running hundreds of miles, the team released two blue marlin in short order to take team and jackpot categories. That extra effort earned owner John Gonsoulin and his team the $252,662 and top lady angler honors for Kate Gonsoulin.

Sea Wolff came in second in the release division with blue and white marlin releases. The Billfish Foundation thanks the ECBC tournament committee and all the sponsors for their continued support and look forward to the 2015 tournament season.

Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club’s International Billfish Tournament

Release Award and Top Lady Angler winner was Peggy Hudson on the Iona Louise. First Place Tuna went to Laurie McVay on Reel Addiction with a 149.2 pound yellowfin. Top Blue Marlin was caught by Brandon Myer on Friction Course with a 365.3 pound fish. Top Junior Angers was Tyler Kennedy on Kwazar with a released blue marlin.

Caicos Classic IGFA Billfish Release Tournament July 3-7, 2014 www.caicosclassic.tc

July 2-6, 2014 www.pbgfc.com

Winning team Reel Worthless

The 12th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, presented by Mojo Sportswear and ORCA Coolers, took place at the Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort, located in Florida’s scenic Panhandle region, with a 77-boat fleet.

Team Reel Worthless was red-hot after winning big in its third major Gulf tournament this season. Angler Steve Brown and his team combined with the Reel Fuelish crew landed the biggest—and only—blue marlin of the 2014 ECBC. That 594.9 pound fish was worth a record payout of $498,450. Reel Worthless swept the marlin division, top crew and all but one of the optional jackpot entries to claim the biggest share of the overall $1.68 million in prize money.

Done Deal, a 70' Viking run by Capt. Jason Buck, claimed the top prizes in release division. After

Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club’s IBT held over the Fourth of July holiday is part of TBF’s heritage. The Club was a Founding TBF Member and continues to support TBF today, a legacy that speaks volumes for the Club’s conservation ethic. The famous Seville Quarters entertainment complex in historic Pensacola served as the venue for this year’s captains’ meeting and awards ceremony. The tournament, described as affordable and family friendly, uses the services of a lot of volunteers, including many junior anglers, who want to be in the middle of the dock action and who do a splendid job. Tournament Director Victor Wallace did a terrific job in attracting 48 boats and 152 anglers, who released 17 billfish. Top Catch and

Ron Thomas, introduces crew of Friction Course Pensacola International Billfish Tournament Champions

Anglers and crew of Magic V. Teamwork earned the anglers and crew aboard Magic V the Top Boat prize in the 19th Annual Caicos Classic IGFA Billfish Release Tournament. The event was hosted out of the beautiful Blue Haven Marina and Resort, in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).

The windy conditions and large swells didn’t deter the tournament participants.

Over 30 anglers on six boats got off to a slow start with no recorded billfish releases on day one. Luck changed on day two with Magic V releasing an estimated 300 pound blue marlin after an hour-long fight, which lead them to win top prize. Maid in Whales, while not seeing any billfish, secured the Largest Tuna prize with a 36.5 pound yellowfin.

Meanwhile Amos Luker, angler aboard After 5, later released his team’s first blue marlin after a long battle. Magic V’s triumph earned them entry into the Offshore World Championship to be held in 2015 in Costa Rica.

We thank the Caicos Classic for their generous donation to The Billfish Foundation!

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 35

Japan International Billfish Tournament

the tournament’s history. While crowds at the scales may not have been thrilled, going into the last day of fishing team members from all 61 competing boats were on their toes as they vied for $554,925 in prize money.

July 18-21, 2014 www.jgfa.or.jp/e/

On July 18-21th, the Japan Game Fish Association’s (JGFA) held their most prestigious tournament, the Japan International Billfish Tournament (JIBT) off Shimoda, Japan. The JIBT, in its 36th year, puts the best Japanese billfish anglers against one another in a friendly tournament. While the JGFA holds billfish tournaments on almost every weekend in the summer, the JIBT is the largest attended. This year, even with the conditions not cooperating with over 20 mph winds and 6-9 ft seas, close to 100 boats and 500 participants took part in the tournament.

Winning Team Levante.

The tournament rules require tagging any billfish over 100kg or about 220 lbs. Even with the stormy conditions, 26 billfish, including blue, black and striped marlin, were tagged and released safely over the 3 days of fishing. The winner of the tournament was team Levante, who tagged & release one blue marlin using 50 pound test line.

TBF thanks the members of JGFA for the invitation to attend the JIBT, to Mr. Higashi for his assistance, and Team Forward for their hospitality. TBF is anxious to continue to work with JGFA and to return to Japan and build upon the discussions during our time there.

Lone Star Shootout July 22-27th, 2014 www.thelonestarshootout.com

2014 marked the 10th anniversary and a record breaking year for the Lone Star Shootout. Hosted by the Houston Big Game Fishing Club, the Shootout has come to be known for its great

36 | The Billfish Foundation

Lone Star winners Done Deal. parties, food and comradery, as well as, contributions to charities including TBF. Bad weather during the previous week meant that a record number of 64 boats from across the Gulf stuck around Port O’Connor to compete for a record high pot of $1,054,000. This year’s tournament was also the first ever to put up a $1,000,000 jackpot for a team that catches the Texas state record blue marlin.

Continuing on their epic tournament season and holding on to the title for the second year in a row was Jon Gonsoulin and Capt. Jason Buck on the Done Deal with two blue marlin releases. Second place team went to Got ‘M On with Capt.

Nate Forbes followed in third by Mojo with Capt. Brian Phillips. Top female angler went to Natalie Payne aboard the Crazy Fish.

Special thanks to Heather Harper of the Houston Big Game Fishing Club, as well as, Michael and Lisa Thorn-Leeson for all their help and support of TBF.

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore August 5-9, 2014 www.bisbees.com For the second year in a row it came down to the last day, last minute fish for the ECO. With no qualifying fish weighed in after two days of fishing, daily prize money rolling over led to the highest payout for a single boat in

There is an adage in fishing that the biggest fish are somehow drawn to jumping on the lure of the least experienced angler on the boat. This turned out to be the case for team Nautahorse and angler Hector Guijarro Tomayo of Guadalajara whose 323 pound blue marlin – his first ever – came to the scales on Friday bringing with it a record high payout of $396,705.

Across the fleet, a total of 80 billfish were caught including 31 blue marlin, 32 striped marlin, 16 sailfish and one black marlin with a total release rate of 97.5%.

Top release boat was awarded to K Sea with three blue marlin and two sailfish releases good for a total of 1,100 points. Second in release points with two blue marlin and one striped marlin was team Dream Weaver. Coming in third on time was team Brothers with the release of a blue marlin, striped marlin and three sailfish.

The next tournament in the Bisbee’s series is the infamous, richest sportfishing event in the world, the Black & Blue on October 21-25. While the Bisbee’s may not be excited for the trend of last minute, qualifying fish to continue, they are sure to see even more boats and even larger payouts for next year’s ECO. TBF would once again like to thank the Bisbee family for all their support and generosity.

Special thanks also go to Capt. Dave Lear, Capt. Paul Watson, and the staff of Buena Vista Hotel.

Bisbee East Cape winners Nautahorse.

Texas Legends Billfish Tournament

Top Junior Angler and the Joel Webb Memorial Trophy was awarded to A.J. Allesio aboard the Tippecanoe.

August 6-10, 2014 www.txlegends.com

Captain John Cochrane and crew did an excellent job again this year producing another exciting and successful Texas Legends Tournament by attracting 50 boats and releasing 55 billfish. The tournament dedicated to Texas anglers who excel and to those who passed away during the year, encourages all participants to release all marlin weighing less than 500 pounds.

The top award, the Bob Byrd Memorial Trophy was won by Bert Steindorf on the Bandit for releasing 1 blue marlin, 3 white marlin and 4 sailfish. Captain Kevin Scott on Bandit won the Bill Hart Memorial Trophy and a Rolex Submariner

Winning Team Bandit. watch! Bandit’s mate K.T. Scott won the Stewart Campbell Memorial Trophy.

John Ramming’s Rebecca won the Alfred Glasssell Memorial Trophy for the largest fish, a yellowfin tuna at 104.5 pounds; the boat also caught and released two blue marlin. TBF thanks the tournament organizers, sponsors and participants for their support.

Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament

Winning team Uno Mas. of more than 5 billfish per boat. The great fishing made for a great competition for the 443 anglers fighting over $424,000 in prize money.

With most boats choosing to fish the first two days, top boat award was still anyone’s for the taking and it came down to some of the top boats duking it out. In the end, it was the 62 Bayliss, Uno Mas, and owner Brooks Smith who took home the overall win. Capt.

Tom Lynskey kept up the team’s recent tournament success with 12 white marlin and three sailfish releases to capture the Wayne McLeskey Memorial Top Boat award plus a $209,500 check to go with it. Capt. Lynskey and mate, Sander Cerdos were also awarded with the Top Crew Award. Following in second was Stream Weaver with Capt. Mike King making a strong comeback on the last day with 11 releases for a total of 14 billfish released and $97,067 of the purse. Rounding out the top three was Capt. Kevin Pankoke aboard the Evelyn Kennedy with 13 white marlin releases and the first day daily jackpot for a total payout of $68,767. For anglers, fishing aboard the Croupier, Cheryl McLeskey was awarded both Top Overall Angler and Top Lady Angler. Aboard the Welder’s Arc, Elliot Enslen took home

TBF would like to thank Paula Owens and Dierdre Bell for their help and support. The VBBT has been a supporter of both TBF as well as, giving back to the community through many other charitable organizations. Special thanks to Bill and Suzanne Gooch and Curtis Colgate for their help.

MBGFC Labor Day Tournament August 29- Sept 1, 2014 www.mbgfc.org

The Mobile Big Game Fishing Club’s (MBGFC) Labor Day Tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama concluded the Club’s 2014 tournament season. With inclement weather forecasted, a total of 62 boats and 330 anglers fished for a total purse of $684,200 in cash awards. The MBGFC was a founding member of TBF and continues to remain a strong conservation partner that allows TBF to continue to make great strides for conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

The week’s activities began with a Friday night captain’s meetings where captains and anglers spent a lot of time not only talking about fishing, but the upcoming college football season. With many boats flying their college colors from the riggers, some of the fleet braved the weather predictions and headed out following the captain’s meeting. With a hot white marlin bite the weeks preceding the tournament, many teams were excited to rack up some release point and headed out to nearby fishing locations in the twilight hours the following morning.

Top catch and release team Gear Up.

August 20-23, 2014 www.vbbt.com

With boats converging on Rudee Inlet from Florida to New Jersey, it’s clear to see that the VBBT has become one of the top billfishing events on the east coast. In just its 11th year running, the VBBT reached its limit of 75 boats weeks before the captain’s meeting even kicked off. Over three days of fishing 15 blue marlin, 61 sailfish and 357 white marlin were released for an impressive average

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 37

Ryan Cooper, son of TBF Board Member Scott Cooper, fishing aboard the CE, released a blue marlin on 30 pound tackle. Top Club Member and Top Male Angler were awarded to Angelo DePaulo fishing aboard the Lady D and Top Lady Angler was taken home by Sydney Turner on the You Never Know. The crew aboard the Gear Up took home top accolades in the Catch & Release Category followed by Dirty Business and Done Deal.

TBF truly appreciates the support from the members and board of the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club. We look forward to a successful 2015 tournament season!

International Billfish Tournament of Club Nautico de San Juan September 3-9, 2014 sanjuaninternational.com

Under the leadership of Tournament Director Ricky Jaen, the 61st IBT enjoyed good participation with 49 boats and 193 anglers, including 43 anglers from 7 nations other than the U.S. As is the custom in San Juan, the week long tournament festivities were tops, including a Fiesta Tipica at a ranch where riders on Paso Fino horses provided a most interesting exhibition. It goes without saying that great good, music,

Winning team Mayte.

Delores Crawford, TBF’s Ellen Peel, Dr. George Crawford, Capt. Mike Bocinsky enjoying the Fiesta Tipica

38 | The Billfish Foundation

plenty of libations and good friends were part of each of the tournament events.

On average fewer billfish showed up this year with anglers releasing 42 fish over four days of fishing. Overall tournament winner was Mayte from Puerto Rico, Top Angler was Rhamses Carazo, Top Lady Angler was Mei-Ling Vicente Donato and Top Visiting Angler was Carey Chen.

Big Game Fishing Club came both days and fried mullet and smoked pork butts; the delicious food was given to guests for a donation to TBF. A fun raffle got the spirit moving, followed by a silent auction, live auction and a large raffle. The winning team was the Dirty Business, a 58 foot Paul Mann, owned by Paul and Leah Herbert with angler Tyler Garcone.

Orange Beach Sportfishing Club – Kenny Vines Memorial Tournament

September 26-27, 2014 orangebeachsportfishingclub.com Kenny Vines brought a personality to the sportfishing industry and community of Orange Beach, Alabama, who was full of spirit as he served his community.

He was a member of the Orange Beach Sportfishing Club (OBSC), which held a tournament each year to raise funds for TBF. Not a one OBSC tournament was held before Kenny died unexpectedly, which left a big void in the Club and his community. The tournament was renamed the OBSC Kenny Vines Memorial Tournament and carries on today with his spirit clearly on display.

Despite big seas and strong winds Tournament Director Tim Howard said the show must go and that it did, more so on shore than offshore, but a great time was had by all. Lots of anglers who remained on shore turned out to party and raise money for TBF. Members of the Pensacola

Top: George Ballard emceeing the event.

Above: Winning team Dirty Business.

Below: An array of awards for the Kenny Vines Memorial tournament.

Dist

NM

Speed

kn

hrs

5.65

0.3

11:16

HDG –

+

°M

032

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A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A MISSION TO CONSERVE, RESTORE AND MANAGE FISH, WILDLIFE AND THEIR ASSOCIATED HABITATS OF THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND THE OPTIMAL UTILIZATION OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES.

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BISBEE’S LAUNCHES CABO HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS

with $250,000 donation to help with housing needs and aid to independant charter boats Wayne Bisbee, tournament director of the Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, announced a comprehensive aid plan to help the under-privileged residents of Cabo San Lucas recover from the devastating Hurricane Odile.

The Category 3 storm came ashore at the tip of the Baja Peninsula and caused wide-spread damage. The full extent is still being assessed, but thousands of the less-fortunate are now homeless and in need of immediate assistance.

Boulder City, Nevada Club to get where it’s needed the most.

“We’ve developed a two-prong approach that will really make a difference. In partnership with Club Dust, volunteers will arrive as soon as the airport reopens and start assessing the situation to provide critical shelter, from tent cities to rebuilding homes,” Bisbee adds. “This group has a lot of experience in poverty relief efforts and our donation will help kickstart this critical need. Individual angler donations will enhance those capabilities and allow us to serve even more families.”

“When Hurricane Odile hit land at Cabo San Lucas a few days ago everything changed,” Club Dust’s Founder and President Ray Meltvedt says. “The storm was the worst in decades and by far the worse since Cabo became the world-class destination for sportfishing.

“We’re creating a call to action throughout the global sport-fishing family to help those who have suffered so much in this natural disaster,” Bisbee says. “We’re donating $250,000 in seed money to the Bisbee’s Cabo Relief Fund and ask our generous fellow anglers to help out by donating themselves. The money will be routed through the Rotary Club International’s

“Remarkably, the response by many of us who love this place has poured in, with questions of how to best help in this time of massive need,” he adds.

“The people that we’re most able to help directly are the families who run those small businesses that provide thousands of jobs in the region. So we hope you’ll join us in giving back to these people who have allowed us to share so many happy memories together over the years.”

Club Dust, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) volunteer organization, has built more than 1,000 portable and permanent homes in Mexico in the past 33 years. Its emphasis is on food, shelter and education for those who need it the most.

In addition to providing critical shelter in Cabo San Lucas in the storm’s aftermath, the second step to recovery is helping those individually-owned sportfishing businesses that were directly impacted get back to work.

To make a donation to the Bisbee’s Cabo Relief Fund, please visit www.bisbees.com and look for the Donate link on the home page.

“This was a terrible disaster that impacted thousands of lives. But with the support of the sportfishing community, we can help our Mexican friends rebuild and return to normal. Now is our opportunity to give back, so please be as generous as you can,” Bisbee says.

Join TBF at www.Billfish.org | 41

Anglers We Will Miss John Matthew Crudele John Matthew Crudele, of Fort Lauderdale, FL passed away June 7th at the age of 66 following a long battle with prostate cancer.

John was born in Long Beach, CA and graduated from Oregon State University.

Following a two year stint in the U.S. Army, he joined Arthur Anderson & Company. While working at Arthur Anderson, he met and later married Elizabeth (Betsy) Crudele. John later left the firm to become co-owner of a healthcare consulting firm, Stockamp & Associates. During his tenure at Stockamp he moved to Brentwood, TN and then settled in Fort Lauderdale, FL. John and Betsy shared a love for fishing and keen sense of adventure.

Their fishing exploits took them to Panama, Mexico and the Bahamas as well as, many beautiful days close to home, offshore in Fort Lauderdale.

John and Betsy also shared a love for food and travel, daring to sample unusual fare while touring Southeast Asia and other exotic locales.

Both John and Betsy have been TBF members for many years. John had a zany sense of humor, and will be greatly missed for the fun he brought to TBF events!

He leaves behind wife Betsy Crudele; daughters Julie and Angela; sister Darleen Mullin and many nieces and nephews.

Robert Tennille IV Robert Tennille IV, age 49, passed away August 14th in Wrightsville Beach, NC. After high school graduation in 1983, Rob worked in several fields, but always came back to jobs relating to his love

42 | The Billfish Foundation

for the ocean and fishing.

His home base remained Wrightsville Beach where he organized the annual Masonboro Inlet Sportfishing Tournament, a favorite among local anglers.

Rob will be fondly remembered for his big smile, great sense of humor and captivating fish tales! Rob had a great send-off, surrounded by friends and family at the hospital.

He is survived by parents Joanne and Robert Tennille Jr., sister Leigh Hardy; grandmother Ellen Tennille and numerous cousins and close friends.

Robert’s family designated The Billfish Foundation’s Satellite Tagging Program for memorial donations.

Robert R. Rands Robert R. Rands passed away August 26th at age 73 in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Robert was a proud military veteran and enjoyed a successful career as a land developer in southern California. He loved sportfishing and always enjoyed a good cigar!

Robert’s family and friends remember him as a loving husband and father and loyal friend. Sometimes he could be “stubborn and ornery” but mostly he will be remembered for his passion for life.

Robert leaves behind Diane, his wife of 48 years; daughters Stephanie, Jennifer, Heather and Heidi; sisters Carol and Sherry; and 10

grandchildren. His family selected The Billfish Foundation as the recipient for memorial contributions.

Peter McPolin Peter McPolin of Staten Island, NY passed away at the age of 53 this past March following a tragic auto accident.

Peter was a retired highly decorated NYPD sergeant. He received 15 commendations, one of the most notable stemming from an incident in 1995, when he was awarded Police Officer of the Month after apprehending an armed robbery suspect. He also assisted transporting rescuers to ground zero on September 11th.

Following his retirement, Peter devoted his full attention to his fencing business, Finest Fence Company. He often donated free fencing to 9/11 widows and victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.

Peter will be remembered by friends and family for his love for the J-E-T-S football team, fierce scrabble skills and his passion for fishing. He was a TBF member for many years and enjoyed fishing in Costa Rica, Mexico and Fort Lauderdale.

He is survived by his companion, Jamie Hatton-Cregin; mother, Mary Alice McPolin; daughters, Shannon, Amanda, Vanessa and Tiffany McPolin; brother Jeffrey McPolin and sister Jeanette McPolin.

2014-2015 calendar of events Please support tournaments, sponsors and events that support TBF.

OCTOBER 21-25 | Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament Location: Los Cabos, MX www.bisbees.com

22 | 2nd Annual Tag & Beer Festival Location: Stuart, FL www.sailfishbrewingco.com

30- Nov. 3 | Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL www.showmanagement.com

2015 february

NOVEMBER

Nov. 1 | TBF Enchanted Forest Masquerade Ball Annual Gala Location: Harbor Beach Marriott, Fort Lauderdale, FL www.billfish.org 6-9 | Presidential Challenge of Central America Guatemala Location: Guatemala www.preschallenge.com

Hot Off The Press! the BILLfIsh foUnDatIon’s

2014 International Billfish Conservation Record

12-16 | Miami International Boat Show Location: Miami Beach, FL www.miamiboatshow.com 13 | TBF Tag & Release Ceremony Location: Jungle Island, Miami, FL www.billfish.org

The Billfish Foundation’s 2014 International Billfish Conservation Record is now available!

This publication is dedicated to the late Dr. Russell Nelson, who served as The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Chief Scientist for 12 years. The Record includes the 2013 Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, the 2013 TBF Tag & Release Program participants, summary of all tag, release & recapture data submitted and collected for 2013 and much more! TBF thanks our 2013 Tagging Program sponsors, Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund, Casa Vieja Lodge, Costa, King Sailfish Mounts & Pelagic Gear, for their support in making this record possible.

Get your copy today at Shop.Billfish.org Conservation Report 2014 bb.indd 1

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