Boat Manufacturers Support Billfish Conservation

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) in late 2019 launched the Boat Builders for Billfish Coalition, a sportfishing industry-led alliance created to generate support for billfish research and advocacy. One of the group’s primary objectives is to create a more extensive satellite tagging program for billfish.

Manufacturers Signing On

“Manufacturers of sportfishing vessels provide anglers around the world with the necessary tools to target the most iconic game fish in the ocean — billfish,” said IGFA president Jason Schratwieser in a statement.

The most recent boat manufacturer to join the coalition is EdgeWater, which joins Contender Boats and Release Boatworks. “At EdgeWater, we understand the importance of protecting our resources for future generations to enjoy,” said the company’s senior marketing director Chris Balogh. “That is why we are excited to join the IGFAs Boat Builders for Billfish Coalition and to support the IGFA’s important work through the IGMR to protect billfish around the world.”

Balogh continued, “The initiatives that lie within the coalition are meaningful. They support the direct research of how we can observe and possibly adapt our fishing of these legendary species. It’s a warranted pursuit. Without it, the species could lead down an uncertain path.”

More Knowledge is Required

According to the IGFA, most billfish populations are not studied enough and are in a depleted state. One goal of the coalition is to learn more about the migration patterns of the species and to better understand oceanographic conditions.

All members of the coalition are offered a marketing package that includes advertising space in the IGFA World Record Game Fishes book, brand integration into the association’s social media platforms, email blasts to IGFA’s network of global members and advertisements and features in the IGFA’s monthly digital magazine, The International Angler.