Natural disasters demonstrate the devastating impacts that catastrophic weather, fire, and seismic events can have on the international recreational angling community. Anywhere in the world, on any day, at any time, a thriving recreational fishery can become a wasteland in a matter of hours in a major natural disaster. And the people who often create those recreational fisheries — the captains, guides, crews, and outfitters who depend on recreational fishing for their livelihoods— often find themselves in the center of the storm.

To address the impacts of these disasters and be prepared to respond to future catastrophes, the IGFA created the Worldwide Anglers Relief Fund (WARF) in 2017 with its partners at Costa Sunglasses. To date, the WARF has disbursed more than $225,000 to recreational angling associations in the Florida Keys, Texas, Puerto Rico, the Florida Panhandle, The Bahamas, Belize, the Gulf Coast, and Montana to help local captains and guides recover from natural disasters.