Big Rock Foundation Grant Supports IGFA’s Cutting-Edge Research
at 2025 Big Rock Tournament

From cutting-edge research to teaching the next generation, the IGFA and Big Rock are teaming up to shape the future of sportfishing

 

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), a global leader in billfish conservation, is proud to announce a generous $22,500 grant from the Big Rock Foundation to support satellite tagging efforts through the IGFA Great Marlin Race during the 2025 Big Rock Tournament, taking place June 6-15 in Morehead City, North Carolina.

With three premier opportunities to compete, the Big Rock Tournament Series includes the Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament and the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in June, followed by the Big Rock Kids Billfish Tournament in July. With a shared focus on ethical angling, these tournaments provide the ideal platform for collaboration with the IGFA Great Marlin Race, which unites competitive sportfishing with cutting-edge conservation science.

 

The IGFA Great Marlin Race is the world’s largest citizen science billfish satellite tagging program and a pioneering collaboration between the IGFA and Dr. Barbara Block’s lab at Stanford University. Through this innovative initiative, recreational anglers deploy satellite tags on billfish they catch and release. These tags transmit vital data on migration routes, behavior, and habitat use, helping scientists and policymakers better understand and conserve these highly migratory species.

Since launching in 2011, the IGFA Great Marlin Race has deployed over 650 tags on seven billfish species, generating over 1,500,000 nautical miles of migration data and contributing to 13 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

 

Notably, the 2022 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament produced the 2022-23 IGFA Great Marlin Race winner: a blue marlin tagged aboard “Waste Knot” that traveled an astounding 4,149 nautical miles in a straight line from the U.S. East Coast to the coast of Brazil. The fish's estimated track of 7,819 nautical miles ranks among the longest ever recorded in program history, proving that game-changing citizen science is happening at Big Rock.

“The IGFA Great Marlin Race is a powerful example of how sportfishing can directly contribute to science-based conservation,” said IGFA President Jason Schratwieser. “The Big Rock Foundation’s support ensures we can continue deploying these tags and gathering the data needed to safeguard the future of these incredible fish.”

Last year’s tournament series also saw notable IGFA involvement, with IGFA Trustee Chad Moss and his team aboard the “Sandbob” earning top honors in the Release Division and capturing the heaviest tuna in the Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament. Their achievements highlight the diverse opportunities these tournaments offer anglers while reinforcing the vital connection between responsible sportfishing and marine stewardship.

In addition to its support of conservation, the Big Rock Foundation is a valued partner in youth angling education. Since the inaugural Big Rock Kids Billfish Tournament in 2021, the IGFA partnered with the event to host engaging youth fishing camps that teach the fundamentals of ethical angling, marine biology, and conservation. The 2025 event, taking place July 9–11, is expected to educate more than 300 young anglers in just three days.

"Our partnership with the IGFA is an investment in the future of sportfishing. There's something special about watching a child light up as they catch their first fish at an IGFA camp during Big Rock Kids, knowing that just a few weeks earlier, one of our boats deployed a satellite tag to help protect that very experience for generations to come,” said Carlee Sharpe, Big Rock Kids Tournament Director. “It's a full-circle moment that reflects the heart of Big Rock's mission: Conservation, Innovation, and Charitable Giving."

The IGFA is honored to return to Morehead City this summer to advance billfish research, engage the next generation, and celebrate the values that unite sportfishing’s past, present, and future.

To learn more about the IGFA Great Marlin Race or to get involved, visit www.igfa.org/the-great-marlin-race.