Page 46 - 52nd Annual White Marlin Open

IGFA Great Marlin Race satellite tag tracks cover every ocean on the globe.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS AND THE GREAT MARLIN RACE

The IGFA mission statement reads, “The IGFA is a scientists by sponsoring and deploying satellite tags
nonprofit organization committed to the conserva- during tournaments or club events. The tag that pops
tion of game fish and the promotion of responsible, up the farthest from its deployment location will win
ethical angling practices through science, educa- the “race”. Taking place from October 1 – September
tion, rule making, record keeping and recognition 30 each year, the IGMR is a collaboration between
of outstanding accomplishments in the field of an- the IGFA and Dr. Barbara Block’s lab at Stanford Uni-
gling.” It is no accident that conservation is at front versity who helps to collect and analyze the wealth
and center of the mission and the IGFA has backed of data collected by the pop up tags. Since its in-
this up with scores of varied and well funded pro- ception, over 650 tags have been deployed in 23
grams. countries and have led to 12 peer-reviewed scientific
publications with more on the way.
One of the more recent and impactful examples
of the conservation efforts of the IGFA is the IGFA Although fish have been tagged all over the world,
Great Marlin Race (IGMR), now in its 14th year. The there are plenty of local connections to the IGMR.
IGMR is a unique program where anglers become The Waste Knot, a winner of the 2024 White Marlin

46 | visit us online at www.WhiteMarlinOpen.com

WMO 52 Magazine.indd 46 7/15/25 8:02AM