Following a highly productive week of presentations, poster sessions, and panel discussions, the IGFA and Wild Oceans would like to thank the attendees, Symposium Steering Committee, and our host, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, for making the 7th International Billfish Symposium a rousing success. We are pleased to share that we had over 100 participants from nine countries in attendance, representing every continent except Antarctica. This international attendance represents the truly global nature of studying and managing billfish and showcases the devotion that our community of anglers, scientists, and managers have for these incredible species.
We would also like to thank all the sponsors that have helped make the symposium come to fruition, especially this year’s Grand sponsors, the MidAtlantic Tournament/South Jersey Marina and NOAA Fisheries. Additional sponsors include Costa Sunglasses, Wildlife Computers, Yamaha Rightwaters, YETI, Center for Sportfishing Policy, Lotek, and the Presidential Challenge Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The symposium ran from October 8-10, 2024, and featured 44 oral presentations, 25 posters, and three expert panel sessions broadly focused on billfish movement and habitat use, biology and fisheries data, and human dimensions. We are excited to share an overview of the symposium and highlight the next steps that were identified toward improved billfish conservation and management.