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2016 Volume 1 2016 Volume The Billfish Foundation’s Sportfishing Conservation Magazine TH Anniversary 1986-2016 Dedicated to Today’s Youth Our Legacy Is Their Billfishing Future 97UPTIME% IS NOT ENOUGH To most people – even those in marine propulsion – 97% sounds pretty good. We’re not most people. At Louisiana Cat, we expect more. For our propellers and for our customers that use them to drive their business safely and profitably. We believe a ship’s propulsion system can work all 866-843-7440 the time – and we’re already 99% of the way there. www.LouisianaCat.com/Marine © 2016 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of 2 Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. ADVOCACY IN THIS ISSUE TBF TEAM Ellen Peel President Elizabeth Black Management Assistant Editor Billfish UPTIME% IS NOT ENOUGH 8 New Program Sponsors: 10 Celebrating 30 Years Peter Chaibongsai Casa de Campo & IGFTO of Billfish Conservation Director of Conservation Programs 97 Deborah Cummings Membership Manager Robert Jones Chief Operating Officer Michael Kelly Science & Policy Specialist 17 A Billfishing Legacy 18 Artist of the Year: for Our Youth Nick Mayer Adrienne Katz Science & Policy Associate Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear DEPARTMENTS Scientist 5 Chairman’s Message 25 On The Docks 6 Tagging News 30 Anglers We Will Miss Herbert Nanne Conservation Director, 20 Captain’s Tips 32 Calendar of Events Central America Jackie Marsolais ON THE COVER Graphic Designer TBF’s 2016 Artist of the Year is Nick Mayer, an award winning nature illustrator. His exquisitely detailed work is influenced by his background as a former marine biologist and the fact that To most people – even those in marine propulsion – 97% sounds he admits to having a lifelong addiction to fishing! Nick painted Billfish Slam, The Billfish Foundation’s 2016 print of the year, pretty good. We’re not most people. specifically to celebrate TBF’s 30th Anniversary. Appropriately, At Louisiana Cat, we expect more. For our propellers and for there are 3 billfish and 3 hidden “30”s in the painting! To learn our customers that use them to drive their business safely and 866-843-7440 more about Nick Mayer, check out his artist profile on page 18. profitably. We believe a ship’s propulsion system can work all 5100 N. Federal Hwy. #200 the time – and we’re already 99% of the way there. www.LouisianaCat.com/Marine Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 800-438-8247 © 2016 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Editor: Elizabeth Black. To advertise in Billfish, please send inquiries to [email protected] Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of www.Billfish.org Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. Billfish is owned and operated by The Billfish Foundation. All rights reserved. Copyright 2015. Printed in the USA. A Better Stab at Tagging. Learn more about the Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund partnership with The Billfish Foundation’s Tagging Project, the largest international tagging program in the world. Together we are modernizing tagging technology with new tags and smartphone technology. Visit our web site for more information: BisbeesConservationFund.org/Billfish Donate to support our project: BisbeesConservationFund.org/Donate Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund 9555 Lebanon Road • Suite 303 • Frisco TX 75035 | +1 (469) 626-7285 [email protected] | bisbeesconservationfund.org/contact ADVOCACY from the TBF’S BOARD OF CHAIRMAN DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Scott Cooper Dear TBF Friends, VICE CHAIR A Better Stab at Tagging. Keith English As the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Billfish Foundation (TBF) I am honored to serve, especially during TREASURER our 30th Anniversary year! TBF has a great 30-year history, Learn more about the Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund Curtis Colgate partnership with The Billfish Foundation’s Tagging Project, the largest thanks, in large part, to your continued participation and support, which we appreciate. Much remains to be done international tagging program in the world. Together we are modernizing SECRETARY if our children and grandchildren are to experience the Bill Gooch tagging technology with new tags and smartphone technology. thrill of billfishing when they are adults. During my year as Chairman I am making young anglers and their future Luis L. Bacardi Visit our web site for more information: one major area of emphasis. Thirty years from now I want one of our children to be John Brownlee authoring this letter and I hope it will reflect what positives opportunities we made Gary J. Chouest available for them in the billfishing world. We cannot lose sight of why we created TBF Johnny Dorland – OBBC BisbeesConservationFund.org/Billfish and why we work to support this organization and family sport. John P. “Jack” Duvall Donate to support our project: Surely you remember the first billfish you caught, someone made that experience Charles “Fin” Gaddy possible, I want those times to always remain available. Pull out your photo Elaine “Lainey” Jones commemorating that experience and promise to give me your support this year so TBF Sandra MacMillan BisbeesConservationFund.org/Donate can further youth education; contribute more to junior angler tournaments and science. Chase Offield My goal is to raise $30,000 new money for their program. I want to prepare young Burley Shedd – MBGFC anglers while we adults gather the science and socioeconomics data to use in our fight for Tim Simpson more responsible billfish conservation at home and beyond our shores. Send me a copy Joan Vernon of the photo of your first billfish to TBF’s address and a check for TBF’s Youth Education Program and we will place your name on our Future Wall for Young Anglers. My second area of emphasis in 2016 is billfish science, an area in which TBF has excelled EMERITUS Francisco Rangel Castelazo over the past 30 years. During the first three decades our community deployed over 190,000 traditional tags on billfish with the primary goal of generating tag recapture Paxson Offield data. Our overall billfish recapture rate remains at between 1.5 – 2%, which is the Don Tyson highest from any billfish tagging program, but more is needed. A recapture occurs Ralph “Agie” Vicente when you catch a billfish that already is carrying a tag. If you catch such a data-prized Jack Willits fish, clip off the tag streamer and place another tag on the same fish, then send the tag number from the streamer to TBF. We are investing $25,000 this year to improve the traditional tag technology. My goal is to have 5,000 more tags placed on billfish during FOUNDING 2016 than placed in 2015, at $3.00 per tag that will cost $15,000. CHAIRMAN Winthrop P. Rockefeller A satellite tagging expedition is scheduled in the Gulf of Mexico later this year with the 1948-2006 goal of deploying 15 tags on blue marlin within a 4 day period, which will require a lot of boats fishing to achieve that ambitious goal. We will stage this out of Port Eads, PRESIDENT Louisiana. Each satellite tag costs $5,000, so we have to raise $75,000 for the tags and Ellen M. Peel, J.D. LL.M. $10,000 for the services and travel of two scientists. I’m pleased to report that we have raised $20,000 for this research already. In addition, we are discussing other research needs in the Atlantic Ocean and will report on that soon. TBF achieves successes worldwide to advance I hope my ambitious goals for 2016 for the future of our youth anglers and the fish do the conservation not scare you, I know together we can make it happen. Let’s get moving! of billfish and Thanking you, associated species, to improve the status of the fish, the health of the oceans, fishing opportunities Scott Cooper and related economies. Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund Chairman 9555 Lebanon Road • Suite 303 • Frisco TX 75035 | +1 (469) 626-7285 [email protected] | bisbeesconservationfund.org/contact TAGGING NEWS THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION’S 2014-2015 Conservation Record Holders TBF is proud to announce the winners of its Annual Tag & Release Awards. These prestigious awards recognize the Captains, Mates and Anglers (including Youth & Ladies) who have tagged and released the most of each billfish species in each of the world’s three major oceans during the 2014-2015 competition year. OVERALL RELEASE WINNERS OVERALL TAGGING WINNERS Top Overall Release Angler – Pat McCotter – Vandemere, NC USA Top Overall Tagging Angler – Laurent Sahyoun – Mandelieu, France Top Overall Release Lady Angler – Tiffany Day – Kitty Hawk, NC USA Top Overall Lady Tagging Angler – Laura Jessen – Sarasota, FL USA Top Overall Release Youth Angler – Brown Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA Top Overall Youth Tagging Angler – Kaleb Richardson – Lafayette, LA USA Top Overall Release Captain – Brad Philipps – Guatemala City, Guatemala Top Overall Tagging Captain – Chris Sheeder – Guatemala City, Guatemala TOP TAGGING ANGLERS – ATLANTIC OCEAN TOP RELEASE ANGLERS – ATLANTIC OCEAN Blue Marlin – Gray Ingram – Jupiter, FL USA Blue Marlin – Gray Ingram – Jupiter, FL USA Sailfish – Charles Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA Sailfish – Brown Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA Swordfish – Richard Gudoian – Key Largo, FL USA White Marlin – Laurent Sahyoun – Mandelieu, France White Marlin – Laurent Sahyoun – Mandelieu, France TOP RELEASE ANGLERS – INDIAN OCEAN TOP TAGGING ANGLERS – INDIAN OCEAN Black Marlin * – Scott MacGowan – Baynton, Australia Black Marlin – Toby Mason – Dampier, Australia Black Marlin * – Jo-Ann Riley – Baynton, Australia Sailfish – Riley Smith – Exmouth, Australia Blue Marlin * – Marcus Longhurst – Broome, Australia Blue Marlin * – Jo-Ann Riley – Baynton, Australia TOP RELEASE ANGLERS – PACIFIC OCEAN Sailfish – Henry Riggs-Miller – Victoria, Seychelles Black Marlin – Sharon Poulter – Smithfield, Australia * Denotes a tie.