Costa’s Marlin-Fly Project
For years, we have all heard about the amazing fishery and waters in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. From the hookups of doubles, triples, and quads of striped marlin with daily releases in the triple digits, it is not surprising that a number of our tag and release winners utilize this incredible location to secure some of our top annual awards. While the fishery as a whole may be renowned by offshore anglers, our current knowledge about the striped marlin fishery in particular is merely surface level. As always, our goal is to conserve, educate, and promote sustainable fishing in locations
New Age/Growth Study on Atlantic Blue Marlin and Swordfish need samples!
Scientists at the University of Maine need Atlantic blue marlin that weigh over 800 lbs and Atlantic swordfish over 500 lbs, specifically their heads, and the fork length measurement. They are hoping to conduct an age and growth study of these big girls and confirm their ages by collecting hard parts, like their otoliths or ear bones. If you land or know someone who has landed one, please let us know! They are willing to pay for the shipping and packaging of each of them. Again, all the scientists need is the head of the Atlantic blue marlin and swordfish
New Report of the Economic Contributions by Recreational Fishing Released
Last week, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) released the 2023 Economic Contributions of Recreational Fishing: U.S. Congressional Districts report, an update of previous data in partnership with Southwick Associates. The report highlighted the social and economic importance of sportfishing (saltwater and freshwater) across the United States and focused on the economic contributions to the respective state economies from anglers who live within each congressional district. The report stated that we have nearly 52 and a half million anglers in our respective saltwater and freshwater communities. We contribute $148 billion in economic output and support 945,500 jobs, while also contributing
Gulf of Mexico Hotspots Mapping Initiative
NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are collaborating on a 5-year project to “evaluate the feasibility of bycatch hotspots” via communication networks in the Gulf of Mexico. Used as a tool to help reduce bycatch, the requested data from the recreational, charter, and commercial fisheries may be used to identify areas where high bycatch is likely. In other words, voluntarily reported angler data may be used to justify closing (spatial management) waters in the Gulf of Mexico to recreational fishing. TBF will monitor this issue and to stay up to date with all things billfish, become
New Findings on Striped Marlin Migrations
The following was released by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group and the Large Pelagics Research Center: The most comprehensive effort to date to characterize striped marlin (Kajikia audax) movements in the Central North Pacific revealed broad movements among tracked specimens. The study found some striped marlin have been traveling to the east coast of Australia or halfway to California from their dispersal points around Hawaii. The original research, funded by a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Program grant, was conducted by scientists associated with the Hawaii-based Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) and the Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC) in Massachusetts. It was recently published across
Estimating Pelagic Longline Bycatch
Over the years, Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear, TBF’s billfish scientist has developed “species distribution models” for highly migratory species that estimate time-varying, three-dimensional distribution of habitat. These models are useful in estimating abundances, visualizing stock boundaries and estimating abundance from catch per unit of effort. They incorporate a wide range of biological and environmental data. Examples include depth, annual average estimated total chlorophyll by latitude and longitude, water temperature and oxygen by latitude, longitude, and depth by month and year. This year, Goodyear and a team of scientists led by Elizabeth Babcock, demonstrated that a bycatch estimation tool, created
Effects of Circle Hooks on Sharks and Rays – IATTC Review
In March of this year, the 1st Circle Hook Workshop of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) commenced. The goal was to analyze “scientific information regarding different circle hooks sizes and their effectiveness at mitigating bycatch and target species with the specific goal of defining the characteristics of an adequate hook for the purpose of mitigating bycatch of sea turtles in accordance with Resolution C-19-04.” In other words, which hook type and size is the most effective at reducing the catch of unwanted species for pelagic longline. Various experts were invited to present their findings on the impacts
Publication from North Carolina State Questions Atlantic Blue Marlin Post Release Survival
A science paper published in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, written by E. Houck et al., from North Carolina State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Center for Marine Science & Technology, raised questions whether skeletal injuries caused by recreational fishing tackle could decrease post-release survival in Atlantic blue marlin. Skeletal injuries in the jaw area of 6 blue marlin caught with artificial lures and J-hooks and landed in the 2019 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament were examined. The conclusion, it was “suspected” that the hook injuries to the jaw had little impact on post-release
Tag Card Completion Guide
The Tag & Release Program is the cornerstone conservation program of The Billfish Foundation. Created in 1990, it was established to remedy the large gaps in knowledge of billfish life history. As a result, it has created the largest private billfish tagging database in the world, with over 270,000 records. The Tag & Release Program relies on Captains, anglers, and mates across the world to tag, release, and recapture billfish. It is a global citizen science effort that relies on the collective dedication of thousands of participants. However, it is not enough just to tag or release
2020 Conservation Record: Blue Marlin
The Billfish Foundation maintains the largest private tag and release database in the world, with 260,000 records by 150,000 anglers. In 2020 alone, TBF anglers and captains tagged, released, or recaptured 7,000 billfish and tuna across the world. Of these 7,000 new records, 1,263 were of blue marlin. Like with sailfish, there is some debate on the difference between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific blue marlin. Makaira nigricans refers to Atlantic blue marlin, while Makaira mazara are Indo-Pacific. Blue marlin can measure up to 2,000lbs and 12ft long. Like other species of billfish, the Indo-Pacific blue marlin tend to be larger
