Made Possible by a Grant from the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

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Recreational Hook and Line Discard Mortality Rates

The Dolphinfish Research Program (DRP) began as a state and federally funded project in 2002 and continues today as the world’s largest privately funded cooperative mark and recapture program to investigate the movements, life history patterns, and population status of dolphinfish. Through the DRP, anglers participate in research to aid in the conservation of their favorite game and food fish species in the face of growing uncertainty regarding population status and increasing levels of fishing pressure where the species occurs. In a collaborative study published in November in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management with researchers based at North Carolina State University (NCSU), the DRP dataset was used in conjunction

with additional data collected by NCSU from 2016 to 2018 off North Carolina to estimate the fate of discarded dolphinfish in the U.S. South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean Sea recreational hook and line fishery. The study, led by Drs. Paul Rudershausen and Jeff Buckel of NCSU as well as Stephen Poland of North Carolina's Division of Marine Fisheries, modeled the fate of released fish and observed high discard mortality rates >20%, results that suggest that without effective education on reducing hook trauma while fishing for dolphin, the benefits of minimum sizes (e.g., <20” in the South Atlantic Bight) and bag limits established to control fishing mortality are not being fully realized. Read more below about the actions we are taking to impart change to decrease fishing mortality and increase the conservation of dolphin.

Distributing Circle Hooks in DRP Tag Kits

In an effort to decrease fishing mortality associated with this species and to enhance management actions aimed at conserving this species, the Dolphinfish Research Program (DRP) is collaborating with Bird of Prey Fishing Tackle based out of Pensacola, Florida, to distribute circle hook jigs as well as information on the importance of

using circle hooks while trolling and sight casting for dolphin in the first 300 free DRP tagging kits set to be distributed in 2020. It is increasingly apparent that without outreach efforts on fishing gear types and fishing styles that promote post-release survival of dolphin, both the benefit of ethical angling practices afforded by the DRP and mandatory

management actions set to aid the conservation of the species are not being fully realized. To enhance your ethical angling practices in the DRP in 2020 click here to request a free DRP tagging kit that will include free circle hooks jigs provided by Bird of Prey Fishing Tackle. Any kit requests received from now until the end of the year will be put into the queue to be distributed after the first of the year.

Regional Dolphinfish Reports & DRP Tagging Progress

visit: dolphintagging.com or beyondourshores.org/reports

Fall Fundraising Campaign - Support Our Work

* Purchase a tagging kit to support tag distribution through the end of 2019 dolphintagging.com/kit.

* Purchase a t-shirt or a hat with logo designed by the world renowned marine artist and scientist Dr. Guy Harvey dolphintagging.com/shop.

* Make a tax-deductible donation via paypal to the official 501(c)(3) that supports the DRP, the Beyond Our Shores Foundation

* To Donate by check click here and make checks out to:

Beyond Our Shores, Inc.,/Dolphinfish Research Program

* Select Beyond Our Shores, Inc., as your charity of choice when shopping on Amazon. On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com select Beyond Our Shores, Inc., to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

* Donate to the program on #GivingTuesday2019 (Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019), to help support the expansion of the DRP in 2020 as well as our other cooperative fisheries research initiatives.

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Dolphinfish Research Program, Beyond Our Shores Foundation PO BOX 662
Rockville, MD | 20848 United States

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