International Game Fish Association

Over the years, billfish tournaments have transformed into big business enterprises. Many prestigious tournaments now have enormous calcuttas and purses as well as large numbers of participating anglers. With huge purses and egos on the line, concern often arises whether all participants are adhering to the letter of the rules. This causes turmoil for tournament directors and, at its worst, prevents tournaments from adopting release formats. An obvious solution is to have observers on boats to ensure a level playing field. But how do you know if observers have been properly trained and where do you go to find them? The answer is simple; IGFA.

The International Game Fish Association’s Observer classes began as a conservation initiative to allow offshore billfish tournaments the option to go to a 100% release format with trained and experienced observers on board to verify catches and educate anglers about IGFA angling rules. With the decline of many billfish stocks, the importance of release formats in tournaments has increased. As release tournaments become more common and cash payouts increase, unbiased observers become vital in reporting rule infractions as well as for identifying billfish species. Observers can often benefit anglers by preventing inadvertent rule infractions before they even happen. Having observers that are trained to identify billfish species under frantic tournament conditions virtually eliminates the need to bring back dead fish to the dock for official scoring. Observers also raise the prestige level and credibility of tournaments while contributing to conservation efforts with the safe release of tournament billfish.

With the aid of the National Marine Fisheries Service, IGFA has had over 1,000 individuals complete the IGFA Observer Training Course. The IGFA Observer Training Course trains Captains, Mates, and experienced anglers worldwide in one day training classes. During the class, subjects covered include species identification, IGFA saltwater angling rules, boating safety, and observer responsibilities and etiquette. Once an individual has taken the course, they have the ability to observe in numerous exotic fishing destinations. Tournament locations that are presently utilizing Observers are Costa Rica, Virgin Islands, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Bermuda, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Turks, Caicos, Bahamas, and Florida.

Through contributions and sponsorship, IGFA endeavors to provide more training opportunities so that more tournaments can utilize observers. IGFA trained Observers and the tournaments that use them play a leadership role in billfish conservation and act as stewards of the sport. The overall goal is to contribute to billfish conservation through the promotion of catch and release and to uphold IGFA angling and tournament rules. Using observers that have been IGFA trained will provide prestige and credibility to any tournament, encouraging more participation.

Interested in taking the IGFA Observer Course?

Training classes take roughly an entire day and typically start at 9:00 am and end at 3:00 pm. Individuals that are interested in taking the observer course are encouraged to contact Jason Schratwieser at jschratwieser@igfa.org or 954-924-4320. The cost of the class $150 and includes a one year IGFA membership, training manual and two instructional (IGFA Rules & Billfish Identification) DVDs. Individuals that have completed the IGFA Observer Course are notified of tournaments requiring Observers by email blasts and posts on the IGFA Observer Talk Forum. There is no annual fee to receive these notices, but Observers must keep an up-to-date IGFA membership. Click here to download the application

Interested in holding an Observer Training Class in your area?

In addition to holding OTCs at IGFA, we’ve held classes in six different countries, two US territories and a slew of states. Arranging an OTC in your area is a relatively simple affair. IGFA needs a point person to correspond with in planning and promoting the course. That person is responsible for helping recruit interested individuals and for securing a venue to hold the course. Before IGFA can travel to hold a course, we need a commitment, in the form of signed applications, from a minimum of 20 people. This is a great opportunity for angling clubs. If you are interested in holding a course in your area, contact Jason Schratwieser at 954-924-4320 or jschratwieser@igfa.org.

Are you a tournament that is interested in using Observers?

There is no charge to use IGFA trained observers. Simply send us an email with the following information:

• Tournament’s name and location

• Tournament dates

• Tournament Director’s name and contact information

• Number of Observers needed

• Logistics covered by the tournament

• Any additional information necessary for Observers

Once we receive this information, we will do a blast email to Observers and also post the information on the IGFA Observer Online Talk Forum. IGFA cannot select Observers for tournaments and suggests that Tournament Directors develop a short application for interested Observers that contains the following information:

• Observer name, address and contact information

• Emergency contact information

• Observer experience:
  How many tournaments have you observed in?
  Have you fished or observed in this part of the world before?
  How many of each billfish species have you caught or seen before?

Once we receive this information, we will do a blast email to Observers and also post the information on the IGFA Observer Online Talk Forum. IGFA cannot select Observers for tournaments and suggests that Tournament Directors develop a short application for interested Observers that contains the following information:

Upcoming Observer Classes:

IGFA to Hold an Observer Training Class in Balboa, California May 15 at the Balboa Angling Club

The Balboa Angling Club will be the site of the next IGFA Observer Training class (OTC) and will be presented on Saturday, May 15, 201 0 at 9 a.m.  The class instructs experienced anglers, boat captains and crew members as observers for fishing tournaments held across the globe. The IGFA OTC covers topics such as species identification, IGFA saltwater fishing rules and tackle regulations, safety at sea and boating etiquette. Space is limited and IGFA OTC applications are available online at

http://www.igfa.org/PDF/COP_Application2008.pdf.  Pre-registration is required and the $150 fee covers the cost of the training class, course materials, and a one-year membership in the IGFA. Please contact IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser at 954-924-4320 or email: jschratwieser@igfa.org for additional information.

IGFA is a 67 year-old nonprofit conservation and record keeping organization with representatives and members in about 120 countries and territories. The association's headquarters are in the 60,000 sq ft IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.