Lima, Peru.  Peru's President Allan Garcia and Minister of Production Rafael Rey, with the assistance of The Billfish Foundation (TBF) and world renowned film maker and conservationist, Dan Winitzky, stepped forward onto the world conservation stage, going where no national leader has gone before.  "Winitzky was the hinge," said TBF President Ellen Peel, "between TBF's technical expertise and Peru's government in making this giant conservation step for billfish a reality."  One of Winitzky's conservation films led the successful campaign in Peru to save one of National Geographic's Society Seven Iconic Natural Sanctuaries – the Bahuaja Sonene Park (Candamo), which comprises 1,092,142 hectares of Peru's lowland and montane rainforest.  Click here for the full story...

Visit the President's web site for details in Spanish: http://www.presidencia.gob.pe/ 

**Pictured above: Dave Ferrell (Marlin magazine), President Garcia, Ministers of Production and Tourism Rafael Rey and Mercedes Araoz, and Ellen Peel TBF President discuss Peru's exciting billfishing future.

TBF Signs Cooperative agreement with OPESCA
On Tuesday February 26, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) President Ellen Peel and Mario Ernesto Salaverria, the Minister of Agriculture of El Salvador and Chairman Pro Temp of the Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) signed a cooperative agreement to join forces in developing a regional plan to develop a sustainable and conservation-based management plan for billfish and other fish species important to the sportfishing sector. This agreement culminated four months of discussions between the organizations after TBF was invited by OSPESCA to join the project.  Click here for the full story...

The Atlantic Circle Hook Rule States...
Beginning January 1, 2008, anglers fishing from HMS [highly migratory species] permitted vessels and participating in billfish tournaments [any contest that includes categories for billfish] must use only non-offset circle hooks when deploying natural bait or natural bait artificial lure combinations.  Tournament anglers may deploy "J"-hooks with artificial lures.  

Anglers and Tournament Directors: Don't Forget... 

     -- All tournaments that include categories for Atlantic HMS (highly migratory species) must be registered with the NMFS and report their data.  

     -- All sportfishing boats fishing for Atlantic HMS species must be permitted.

· Handwriting is always a problem for our data entry; please print all material LEGIBLY using a pen.  No markers or pencil.  A good idea is to use address labels for some of your information.

· Please be consistent in your reporting.  Provide your full name when filling out the cards, no nicknames or abbreviations.

· When submitting multiple cards, please be sure to fill out each

individual card completely.  The cards are frequently shuffled and the original information can be lost.  (You may want to consider using address labels or an ink stamp.)

·  If you fill out a non-US address, please be sure to provide the full address and postal code.

·  If you have changed addresses since your last card, please let us know by contacting us or by stating so on the card.  If you have more than one address, please select one and remain consistent.

·  It is important to include the latitude and longitude, as this information is critical in giving our scientists an understanding of the movement of the billfish when it is recaptured.  If you do not have a GPS, please identify the ocean body and a city/town name located nearby.

·  If you are a junior angler (17 years old or younger) please make sure you fill out your full date of birth on the card.  This is key to being included in our Youth Tag & Release Competition.

·  Individuals must be listed as either the captain or the angler, not both.  If you served both roles you must choose one or the other.  Please remain consistent.

·  Specifically for Release Notification (non-tag) Cards, please make sure that you fill out only one card per day per angler.  Multiple fish caught in a single day's fishing can be reported on one card for each angler.

·  TBF distributes over 20,000 tags and 10,000 Release Notification Cards each year, so please be patient as we process your information into our database.

·  The mail system is not perfect; remember to photocopy or write down your information before sending TBF the original card.

**ATTENTION ANGLERS AND CAPTAINS
Are you missing your release certificates or have you received an incorrect release certificate?  Click here to find out why.


Shop TBF Online
The Billfish Foundation is happy to announce the launching of our new & improved online shopping cart.  Now you can purchase your tagging supplies and TBF apparel at your convenience, 24 hours a day!

To enter the shopping cart, please click on the "Shop Now" link below.  If you experience any difficulties during your shopping experience, please contact Peter for Tagging Equipment at 954-938-0150 ext. 107, Deborah for TBF Apparel at 954-938-0150 ext. 106 or Jennifer at 954-938-0150 ext. 101.