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I want to thank my old friend and former coworker Jack Vitek for the honor of penning this issue’s “From the Bridge.” Jack gave me complete latitude to write about whatever I wanted, but in the end, I settled on a simple
theme: “thanks.”
In preparation for my assignment, I read last issue’s piece from Capt. Corey Gillespie, where he discussed how boats, sonar, fuel, tackle, tournament entries and crew expenses, just to name a few, are anything but inexpensive these days. Nevertheless, anglers continue to pony up because they love the thrill of chasing billfish and everything that comes with it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there is another kind of price we pay to play.
Some of you reading this column have taken your passion for billfish a step further by supporting the work we do to study and conserve these remarkable species. Thanks to your support, the IGFA has accomplished a great deal over the past two decades, including:
- Passage of the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 with Wild Oceans, and a 2018 amendment prohibiting the importation and sale of marlin, sailfish and spearfish in the continental United States.
- Developing the world’s largest citizen-science billfish satellite-tagging program with Stanford University. Since 2011, the IGFA Great Marlin Race has deployed more than 700 satellite tags in 26 locations worldwide. The data is freely available to scientists and fisheries managers, and has contributed to 14 peer-reviewed publications.
- Hosting and co-chairing the past two International Billfish Symposia, showcasing the science behind the sport and identifying future research and management priorities.
- IGFA staff participation in domestic and international fisheries management bodies to ensure billfish receive appropriate management attention.
- Funding research into striped marlin genetic stock structure and size at first reproduction.
- Participating in two global assessments (including the first ever) of billfish and tuna species through the IUCN.
- Creating the IGFA Billfish Research and Conservation Endowment. Now exceeding $2 million, with planned gifts to take it beyond $4 million, it will continue growing and fund billfish research and conservation initiatives in perpetuity.
These are just a few highlights. But more importantly, they represent what can be accomplished when passionate anglers decide to invest in the future of the fish they love. So, to those of you who have supported these initiatives, I offer my heartfelt thanks.
But there is still so much more to do. Billfish stocks globally are struggling, and there is still so much more we don’t know. If your love for billfish runs deep and you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Just the amount spent on one rod and reel or a partial tank of fuel could help ensure that this pastime is enjoyed for generations to come.
After all, you’ve gotta pay to play.
