2024 IGFA Passports to Fishing Update
Teaching the next generation of ethical and conservation-minded anglers around the world is a big undertaking. However, the IGFA’s Passports to Fishing program and our network of supporters is doing the work needed to successfully teach kids on a global scale to fish responsibly, ethically, and most importantly, joyfully.
Since its inception in 2019, the IGFA and our international network of representatives, captains, clubs, and like-minded educators have reached a significant milestone of reaching more than 50,000 youth through the Passports to Fishing program, teaching them the basics of recreational fishing and the importance of conservation, and being good stewards to our natural resources.
With more than 200 “fishing clinic in a box” kits distributed to 48 countries and translated into 17 languages, the Passports to Fishing program has become the IGFA’s signature global education program, but without the help of our international network, this program would not see the reach it has in the last six years.
Let’s recap the great work of 2024 as we travel around the world through Passports to Fishing where more than 100 events occurred teaching almost 14,000 kids!
North America Region
The North American Region is where Passports to Fishing all began - at the IGFA Headquarters in Dania Beach, Florida, USA, and it is still where all kits are developed and distributed to other locations around the world. IGFA education staff host a plethora of events throughout the year across the United States with other angling educators working alongside the IGFA’s network. The majority of events occurred in National Park Service locations and this year, and we expanded into Oregon, California, Maine, and New York. But the real work comes from longstanding supporters like the Scouts of America, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and East Bay Parks in California.
Central America and Caribbean Region
Major events took place in the Central American and Caribbean Region all-year long. These events reached thousands of youth in 2024 starting with the Santa Domingo 5th Annual Kids’ Tournament in the Dominican Republic, hosted by Club Nautico de Santo Domingo as well as several Clinicas de Pesca Deportiva Infantil hosted by FONMAR through IGFA Representative, Gary Graham in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The Belize Game Fishing Association hosted two fishing camps for local children this year, and the Club Nautico de Guatemala and Asociacion Nacional de Pesca Deportiva hosted several local events in various cities in Guatemala throughout the year including one on IGFA Day in June.
Continuing on in the region, several events also took place in many different island nations starting with fishing workshops in local schools in the Turks & Caicos by IGFA Representative Jan Forszpaniak, and the annual Kids’ Fishing Clinic in Grand Cayman hosted by IGFA Representative, Franklin Thompson and the Cayman Islands Angling Club. IGFA Representative, Ricardo Lefranc, and IGFA’s newest appointed Representative in Puerto Rico, Luis Burgos, hosted a Passports to Fishing event for IGFA Day in June. The Martinique Billfish Association, an IGFA Club, hosted their first kids’ tournament to educate and engage local youth into becoming the next generation of anglers.
There were many other “firsts” in the region in 2024 including Club de Yates de Acapulco running a fishing school in mainland Mexico and a Passports to Fishing event in Quepos, Costa Rica, for a local public school through IGFA Representative, Federico Hampl. A fishing expo also occurred in Panama for local youth under the guidance of IGFA Representative, Edwin Fabrega for the first time using a Passports to Fishing kit.
South America Region
In South America, the IATE Club of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil continues hosting youth angling events throughout the year reaching hundreds of kids in the community through the Gincana da Pesca de Cais fishing competition series.
Europe and Mediterranean Region
In Europe and the Mediterranean, Passports to Fishing kits were used during a sustainable fishing workshop in the Marine Educative Area with the Fédération Monégasque de Pêche Sportif in Monaco, followed by the first TransAtlantic Scout Fishing Event in The Netherlands. IGFA Representatives and Fishing Clubs were also busy in this region with the APS Tomis Club in Romania hosting an event as well as "Bluefin: Fishing Academy" hosting another junior’s fishing course with IGFA Representative, Karim Sherif in Egypt. Club Nautico Rimini in Italy hosted another summer session of “The Sea School” with kids going fishing every week on Friday. Our education partner and tackle shop owner in Greece was able to host another Kid’s School in Corfu around IGFA Day in June.
Asia Region
In Asia, "The Milkfish Lady", IGFA Representative Shamin Shaimah, has been busy hosting Passports to Fishing and advancing world record opportunities throughout Malaysia. In the Philippines, progress has been seen through our partnership with "From the Barrio Projects" which is bringing recreational fishing and ethical angling opportunities to various municipalities and schools reaching more local youth. They had their largest event in 2024 with more great things to come in 2025! IGFA Representative, Derek Dsouza has also gained traction with expanding youth angling education opportunities to not only more youth in India, but now also to more adult female anglers!
Oceania Region
Down in Oceania, IGFA Captain Laurie Wright is back at it doing events in Queensland, Australia. The Port Moresby Game Fishing Club in Papua New Guinea received their Passports to Fishing kit sent this year to round out their series of Pee Wee Fishing events.
Africa Region
The year concluded with some great events occurring in Africa. In November 2024, the East London Ski Boat Club hosted 24 children who were split up into teams and rotated through stations manned by volunteer junior anglers and more experienced anglers who discussed fishing and showed the children the various aspects of angling.
They then moved over to the bait station, which was the highlight as they got to play around with different baits, tying hooks and getting their little hands nice and icky,” as Tracy Taylor from the Border Deep Sea Angling Association described.
“I would like to encourage all the clubs to make use of this initiative and to get their committees and members involved into widening the net of fishing to juniors out there who would not necessarily have the opportunity to learn and get hands on attention required as we try nurture our future generations of recreational/competitive anglers.” - Tracy Taylor, Border Deep Sea Angling Association.
These 24 children also got to experience a boat excursion that launched out of El Harbour completing their day of fun and fishing.
To round out 2024 and bring us straight into 2025, The TransAtlantic Scouts who completed an event earlier this year in The Netherlands, traveled to Kenya for a wilderness camp retreat.
A Look Ahead
Events are already occurring and plans are in the works to continue expanding youth angling education opportunities to kids around the world through the IGFA’s Passports to Fishing program. It has been a great program thus far, but it takes a lot of hard work not only from the IGFA Education staff, but also from the hard-working members of our network who truly bring these opportunities to the kids and families in their community.
We cannot wait to see what 2025 brings as we work toward our next Youth Education Initiative of teaching 250,000 youth around the world to fish. The Passports to Fishing program is a huge part of this global initiative, and we cannot do this great work without the support of our partners.
