Abstract

The past decades have witnessed both a rise in the popularity of big game Sportfishing and concern over decreasing numbers of large pelagic fish. In response, The Billfish Foundation (TBF), a non-profit, science-based organization, created a Tag and Release Program, reliant upon the recreational community, to assist in determining attributes pertaining to billfish stocks, life history, and migratory patterns. Scientists and policy makers have used the data gathered to guide fisheries management regulations and research. The objective of this paper is to assess TBF’s Tag and Release Program and determine how it may be improved. Analysis of the program includes investigation of the historical background of the TBF’s Tag and Release Program and appraisal of the program’s database. This included examination of the current data collected, assessment of the accuracy of that data and review of the processes involved in the program. While the appraisal validates that TBF has one of most comprehensive recreational billfishing databases available to scientists and regulators, it also highlights areas of necessary improvement. These improvements would increase the value of the database by providing a more effective tool for stakeholders to better understand billfish and the billfishing community.

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