Please Promote Catch and Release fishing

Release Mounts – A Positive Alternative

King Sailfish Mounts, Inc. (KSM) and TBF are proud to announce the launch of a new program in our long-standing Corporate Conservation Partnership that will go a long way towards the goal of rewarding responsible fishing practices. KSM, known for their exceptionally lifelike fish mounts and commitment to conservation, will donate funds, as a conservation dividend from their business, to TBF for each release mount ordered by a captain who is a TBF member. (KSM is creating its own program to give dividends back to TBF member captains ordering release mounts. Contact KSM directly at kingsails@aol.com or 888-SAILFISH.)

Experienced professional captains and mates know that billfish do not have to be killed for an angler to have a beautiful commemorative mount. Novice billfish anglers might be susceptible to false claims that their great fish needs to be killed to create a mount. Any crew engaging in such behavior and bad business practices is contributing to the overfishing of the species upon which they depend for a living.

Anglers on every level should realize that if we participate, we have a responsibility to use the best conservation practices to reduce unnecessary fishing mortality and help sustain fish stocks, fishing opportunities and the future of fishing. Forcing an angler to needlessly kill a sailfish or marlin in order to discourage a case of dockside "buyer’s remorse" over a fish mount is a disgraceful act that insults everyone in the sportfishing community.

Today high seas longline vessels that fish outside of the law are placed on a list and refused fuel, services and catch purchases by many nations. Some have suggested that TBF create such a list of vessels that ignore good conservation practices. Instead TBF and KSM prefer a positive approach by rewarding crews that encourage the conservation ethic.

Captains who would like to join TBF should contact Deborah Cummings by phone at 800-438-8247 or 954-938-0150, ext. 106, or by email at Deborah_Cummings@billfish.org. TBF membership also makes one eligible for TBF’s Annual Tag and Release Awards.TBF is launching new tag and release projects with KSM in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and in Guatemala.