From Bonefish & Tarpon Trust:
Springfield, Mo. — Tom Davidson Sr., founding chairman of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), was inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s Fishing Hall of Fame on August 29 at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri. The honor recognizes Davidson’s lifetime of leadership in fisheries conservation.
“On behalf of BTT’s board, staff, scientists, partners, and supporters, we congratulate Tom Davidson on this well-deserved honor and thank him for the vision and leadership that continue to guide our mission,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie.
Davidson’s conservation journey began with his decades-long passion for flats-fishing in the Florida Keys. In 1997, concerned by a dramatic decline in bonefish, he discovered that remarkably little scientific information existed about the species. He responded by recruiting five fellow anglers—Russ Fisher, Dick Farmer, Roe Stamps, Mike Smith, and Joel Shepherd—to each contribute $10,000 toward a University of Miami research initiative. That effort laid the foundation for what would become Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
Under Davidson’s leadership as Chairman of the Board for nearly two decades, BTT grew from a small group of concerned anglers into a globally recognized, science-based conservation organization. BTT has since led groundbreaking research on bonefish, tarpon, and permit; identified and advocated for the protection of critical spawning habitats and migration pathways; conducted the largest tarpon tracking study in history; advocated for full funding of Everglades restoration; launched large-scale habitat restoration initiatives in Florida and The Bahamas; and helped advance conservation and improve fisheries management in the Southeastern United States, The Bahamas, Belize, and Mexico.
Davidson’s induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame recognizes more than personal achievement. It honors a legacy of institution-building and conservation leadership. A distinguished business executive and former Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year, Davidson founded and led multiple companies operating across North America and Europe and chaired prominent leadership organizations. He is also a board member of the Everglades Foundation, and served on the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary Advisory Board and as VP Director of Sanctuary Friends of the Florida Keys.
Among Davidson’s many accomplishments, the founding of BTT stands as a lasting contribution to the future of flats fisheries. What began as a response to declining bonefish in the Florida Keys has grown into an organization that consistently advances fisheries science and translates it into meaningful conservation outcomes.
Photos are available here.
ABOUT BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon, and permit—the species, their habitats and the larger fisheries they comprise. BTT pursues this mission through science-based conservation, education, and advocacy across Florida, The Bahamas, Belize and Mexico, as well as in coastal states from Texas to Virginia. Learn more at: www.BTT.org.