From 2002 until 2017, an average of 44 dolphinfish were tagged and released off North Carolina (NC) per year. In 2003, 103 fish were tagged; and in 2010, 2012, and 2014, more than 80 fish were tagged per spring off NC. Thereafter, tagging participation off NC waned with only 83 fish tagged over an eight year period (2015-2023). Given this overall low tagging activity, DRP personnel embarked on their first spring tagging expedition since the early years of our tagging program off NC last May, and we continue to obtain results. Recently, the smallest fish we tagged and released on May 2nd, 2024, fishing aboard Marlin Gull, was recaptured off the north coast of Puerto Rico (PR) by Juan Centeno fishing aboard his vessel Heavy Hitter. This is the first NC-PR recovery and 8th from the U.S. East Coast to the north coast of the Greater Antilles. This fish grew from a tiny 16" 1-lb dolphinfish to a tackle-testing 19.5-lb gaffer. Its recovery further highlights the interconnectivity of dolphinfish throughout the region and the benefits anglers reap when small dolphinfish are released. Click here to read more with additional data and analysis.
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January Expedition to
Casa Vieja Lodge
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This past January, our team embarked on our third research expedition to Guatemala in collaboration with Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL). Our research expansion to CVL endeavors to expand the geographic extent of our research in the ETP to gain a better understanding of how dorado move and behave across a broader area of the region. In three days of fishing, we were able to deploy 5 satellite tags on dorado ranging in size from 41" to 50" fork-length. With this effort, our team has deployed 17 satellite tags as well as 103 conventional tags off CVL. Click here to learn more about this research sponsored by the Guy Harvey Foundation with additional support from sponsors and supporters of the Beyond Our Shores Foundation.
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PSATs Deployed off Puerto Rico
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Our last successful satellite tag deployment on a large dorado south of Puerto Rico was April 1st, 2022. We deployed 2 tags on April 1st and 3 tags the day before. During the spring of 2021, we were able to get 2 tags out. During 2020, we did not get to travel due to the pandemic, but in 2019, we got 3 tags out south of PR. Overall, from 2019 through 2022, fishing for dorado south of PR was decent, and in fact, 2022 was really good. Yet, in the 27 outings from the end of the spring 2022 through the springs of 2023 and 2024, we did not encounter one large dorado south of PR or even around PR, that allowed our team to deploy a tag. Thankfully, the lack of deployments finally ended earlier this month when we efficiently found schools of large fish and got 3 tags out. These tags were deployed in conjunction with our project with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The deployments this past month bring us to a total of 18 on dorado fishing out of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. A special thanks to Captain Jesus Duran and mate Emmanuel Markham for their assistance with this work. Our team has deployed 14 tags with their assistance. Check out his charter, Lalooli Fishing Charters, out of La Parguera, and click here to watch a short video of the action.
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PSATs Deployed off St. Croix, V.I.
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Last week, in association with our project with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and our quest to deploy 30 satellite tags between three tagging zones (the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Puerto Rico, and off the Virgin Islands) in two years, we successfully deployed our 8th and 9th tags with Captain Cook Charters and Captain Dave Claeys and his son Cai Claeys (@cai_claeys), who is an amazing mate. They put us on the fish and we deployed Microwave Telemetry 6-month geolocating tags on a 45" female and 42" bull from the same school. Check out Captain Cook Charters (@captaincookcharters) to fulfill your fishing dreams off of beautiful St. Croix. They are located in Green Cay Marina. Click here to check out the fishing action.
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Support Our Research in 2025
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A special thanks to everyone who has contributed to our tagging program since the beginning of our 2024/2025 fundraising campaign. With your support, we were able to start 2025 strong. Our goal is to distribute 400 kits and 5,000 tags in 2025. While we have an operational budget to begin the year, we still need support to help us fund our online tagging maps (click here), acquire additional satellite tags to deploy on adult dolphinfish and wahoo in 2025, as well as increase our tagging
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kit and education supplies to meet our growing demand for tagging kits. Our tagging program is at the forefront of educating anglers, advancing discussions and actions surrounding conservation of the species, and gathering additional data to help inform data-driven decision making at the state, federal, and international levels. Help the DRP expand in 2025. Click the icons below to shop or donate to support our program.
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| | Eastern Tropical Pacific Research Partners
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