Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s most highly anticipated event is back! This November, the 8th International Science Symposium will convene globally recognized marine scientists, resource managers, policymakers, fishing guides, and anglers to advance flats fisheries conservation. BTT’s triennial Symposium is the world’s largest gathering of the stakeholders working to conserve bonefish, tarpon, and permit, and their habitats. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one another and take action!
Join us this November 7-8 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina for engaging discussions with leading experts, interactive clinics led by angling legends, and social gatherings among friends of the flats!
This Year’s Theme: Landscape Conservation
This year’s program will focus on critical fishery issues from the perspective of landscape conservation. It’s an approach that tackles water quality issues and habitat loss at the largest and most meaningful scales possible, connecting lands and waters across county, state, and even international borders. Conservation efforts, like improving water quality and restoring critical habitats, are essential to the health of landscapes and the species that inhabit them, as well as the communities who rely on them. At the Symposium, we will share the latest scientific findings and policy updates, and advance conservation strategies to benefit the flats fishery now and into the future.
Actionable Science for Conservation
Join leading scientists and policymakers from Florida, The Bahamas, Belize, and Mexico to explore cutting-edge research shaping the future of flats fishery management. Diving into topics like tarpon conservation and collaborative management, together we will examine how we can help our coastal ecosystems and fish populations thrive through science-based solutions.
Insights from Angling Experts
Be sure to attend the Legends Panel to gain insights from renowned guides and top anglers on the challenges they see on the water and the best paths forward for conservation. And if you’re looking to sharpen your skills on the flats, check out the casting clinic and learn from world-class anglers and guides in hands-on workshops designed for all levels.
Celebrating Conservation Heroes with the Flats Community
As in the past, BTT’s International Science Symposium will also be a celebration of our angling community. The 2025 edition will feature special events, including the BTT Circle of Honor Awards Dinner, a cocktail reception among friends of the flats, and a prize drawing for three ultimate fishing boats.
At this year’s BTT Circle of Honor Dinner, we will induct our newest honorees who have made outstanding contributions to conservation. Join us as we honor four leaders in flats conservation:
- Jeff Harkavy has championed conservation for marine fisheries and the angling community for decades, and this fall, Harkavy will receive BTT’s highest honor—the Lefty Kreh Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation—in recognition of his dedicated service to our flats fishery.
- Tim Borski’s impressionistic paintings of flats fish and his commitment to their conservation has inspired anglers throughout his career, and he will receive this year’s Curt Gowdy Memorial Media Award, presented to those who advance saltwater conservation through media and the arts.
- Chris & Wendi Peterson, the owners of Hell’s Bay Boatworks, will receive the Flats Stewardship Award in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the stewardship of Florida’s flats species, coastal habitats, and water resources through their unwavering leadership, political advocacy, and support of conservation efforts on the flats and beyond.
We look forward to seeing you this November! BTT’s International Science Symposium takes place only every three years, and space is limited, so be sure to REGISTER today!