Patagonia, an outdoor equipment and apparel company based in Ventura, California, has renewed its support of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust as a Platinum Corporate Sponsor.
“Our mission statement is simple,” said Ted Manning, Patagonia’s director of fly fishing. “We’re in business to save our home planet. That means we are solution-driven. Everything we do—from the gear we make to the organizations we partner with—is impacted by that commitment. It’s gratifying to work alongside an organization like BTT that not only shares that commitment but leads. BTT’s efforts are critical in the fight to preserve and enhance the wild fish and wild places we love. We’re proud to support that vision.”
Founded by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Honorary Trustee Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is a Certified B Corporation and recognized internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism—and its contributions of more than $110 million in grants and in-kind donations to date. Patagonia is committed to supporting anglers fighting to ensure a future that includes wild fish and wild waters.
Through the “It’s All Home Water” campaign, Patagonia collaborates with fish conservation organizations, the angling community, and fishing industry partners to protect wild fish and improve management while taking on the urgent challenges facing our fisheries, including addressing the harmful effects of climate change, removing dams, and eliminating hatchery fish farms. The campaign calls on anglers to “Stand for the waters you stand in” and combines grassroots advocacy, new angler recruitment, and natural resource protection.
One of BTT’s first corporate sponsors, Patagonia has supported BTT’s conservation mission for more than 15 years, including the Juvenile Tarpon Project (2006), which began in Florida Bay. Since that time, the project has grown into the Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Initiative, which is informing BTT’s ongoing work with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to include habitat in fisheries management. Patagonia was also an early supporter of BTT’s education efforts, leading to the creation of BTT’s recently released education curricula.
“We greatly appreciate Patagonia’s continued support of our conservation mission,” said Jim McDuffie, BTT’s President and CEO. “Patagonia has been a valued partner since our early days as an organization and together we have achieved many conservation outcomes benefiting the flats fishery, from the Florida Keys to the Bahamas and Belize. We look forward to what we will accomplish together next to ensure a healthy future for bonefish, tarpon, and permit, and the vital habitats that support the flats fishery.”
