BOZEMAN, MONTANA - The Yellow Dog Community & Conservation Foundation (YDCCF) is excited to announce the receipt of a $10,000 contribution from proceeds of the 2017 Tres Pescados Slam Tournament, an annual event held in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
 
YDCCF works to enhance communities, build partnerships and support conservation in places where great fishing is found. YDCCF provides targeted grants to directly support priority conservation needs, vital community projects, and educational efforts in international angling destinations. The Foundation also builds partnerships to leverage funding for specific projects. YDCCF has provided more than $15,000 to four projects in Belize over the last 15 months. 
 
Since its inception in 2009, the Tres Pescados Slam Tournament is Belize’s only catch and release fly-fishing tournament. Each summer anglers and guides compete over three days for cash prizes, fishing equipment and bragging rights, all while having fun and supporting a great cause. In past years the tournament has supported Bonefish Tarpon Trust, Oceana, Green Reef, and the Ocean Academy on Caye Caulker, among others.  The funds from 2017 that have been dedicated to YDCCF will be used in Belize to benefit fisheries protection, community assistance, and fisheries education. 
 
2017 tournament sponsors include Belikin, Belize Permit Club, Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize Tourism Board, Costa, El Pescador Lodge, Hatch Outdoors, Holiday Hotel, Marcelo, Oceana Belize, Scott Fly Rods, Simms Fishing Products, Tangelo Studios, Tres Pescados Fly Shop, Tropic Air, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Yeti, and Victoria House Resort.
 
In contributing the funds, tournament sponsor and founder, Wil Flack, said “On behalf of our sponsors and teams, we are extremely proud to donate $10,000USD to YDCCF in our continued effort to support sustainable sport fishing, habitat protection and education in Belize. We believe these funds will go directly to where they are needed most!”
 
YDCCF has six partners in Belize that participate in the YDCCF Lodge Matching Program.  These partners include Belize Permit Club, Belize River Lodge, El Pescador Lodge, Caye Caulker Fly Fishing, Copal Tree Lodge (Formerly Belcampo), and Long Caye Outpost Lodge. Through this program, when an angler books a fishing trip through Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures with a participating lodge, $50 is donated to YDCCF from both the lodge and from Yellow Dog, resulting in a $100 contribution. The funds are contributed in the name of the angler.  With thousands of customers booking trips each year, these individual donations and contributions quickly add up.  By agreement, funds contributed by the participating lodges in Belize are designated for projects in Belize and will help to further leverage additional funding for the country’s fisheries and fishing-based communities.
 
Sarah Tilt, Executive Director says “YDCCF is deeply grateful for this support which will help us to do even more in Belize. We are excited to continue to work with Wil and the Tres Pescados Slam Tournament to identify and support important projects.”