|  |
While the use of image-stabilizing, high-magnification binoculars has increased dramatically off PR through the years, catch success with these tools, as well as others, has not served to improve catch in 2023-24' season
| |
| | |
In the Fall of 2016, our group initiated a volunteer vessel catch and effort program to monitor charter, recreational, and small-scale commercial catch and effort. This research is funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. When examining by year over year between 2016 and 2023, annual catch success from a total of 2,596 fishing trips has decreased from 65% to 49%. Annual catch success is defined as the number of trips anglers landed one target species (dorado, tuna, or wahoo) or released a billfish. When looked at another way, the percentage of annual trips that resulted in no catch for an outing (i.e., getting skunked) has increased from 35% to 51% over the period. In terms of angler catch success, and upon review of 118 offshore research outings taken over the past 14 years around the island, the 2023-24' season around Puerto Rico has been the worst year we have documented. While the reason(s) for the poor fishing off PR during 2023-24' have yet to be determined, the evidence presented in this month's newsletter reiterate the importance of our ongoing citizen-driven data collection and should signal to fishery managers throughout the WCA that improvements in dolphinfish management in the region is needed now. Click here to read more.
| |
|  |
Annual cumulative catch success or no catch, relative research catch success, and percentage of dolphinfish of trip catch off PR
| |
| | |
Sportsman's Adventures Featured
Dorado Goes 73 days
| |
Captain Rick Murphy and Sportsman's Adventures recently released their latest episode, which showcased Casa Vieja Lodge (CVL) as the sailfish capital of the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) Ocean as well as our tagging program for collaboration with CVL to gather new data on dorado off Guatemala and throughout the ETP. During the episode, Captain Rick Murphy, angler Greg Dornau of Star Brite, lodge owner Kristen Salazar, and the Sportsman's Adventures film crew documented the successful release of 38" and 39" bulls. The tag associated with the 39" fish documented in the episode recently surfaced and began transmitting after remaining with bull for 73 days. This is the fourth longest monitoring period obtained for our tagging program, and the tag associated with the 38" bull remains at large. Check out the episode on the Discovery Channel, Pursuit, or through Philo.com. A huge thanks goes out to Rick, Kristen, and the Sportsman's Adventures team for their help in promoting the DRP.
| |
New England Saltwater
Fishing Show Success
| |
The New England Saltwater Fishing Show is a prime event to run a table effort about offshore pelagic fisheries for the following reasons: (1) Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic Bight has a large and seasonally substantial offshore pelagic fishery and mahi is a major component of the catch; (2) wind farm leases and the potential move to ropeless trap fishing inject additional issues that are poised to alter fishing success for pelagics; and (3) environmental effects on pelagic fisheries such as climate change are likely to lead to range expansion for species such as mahi. In early March, our group worked tirelessly over two and half days to inform anglers about the importance of collecting data on mahi off southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Through a successful raffle effort, we were able to raise funds to help support the deployment of a satellite tag on a qualifying mahi in the region. Congratulations goes out to Chris of Massachusetts, Shawn of Connecticut, Jay of Rhode Island, and Molly of Massachusetts for winning the raffle items. A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to learn more about our research, to participate in our raffle to support our work, and to our sponsors for providing the raffle items.
| |
|  |
Small mahi caught in a school of false albacore in the mouth of the Sakonnet River, RI, in September 2023. A similar event occurred off Newport Bay in 2022.
| |
| | |
Support our Mahi and Wahoo Research
| |
|
A special thanks to everyone who has financially contributed to our tagging program since the beginning of our 2023/2024 fundraising campaign. With your support, we have started 2024 strong. To date, we have deployed six satellite tags, logged the release of over 100 dolphinfish as well as tuna and rainbow runners in the Caribbean, distributed 101 kits and 1,176 tags, and seven vessel tracking devices. We have also logged nine
| |
field work outings between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 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 2024. Click the icons below to shop or donate to support our program.
| |
|
| | Eastern Tropical Pacific Research Partners
| |
More Wahoo Samples Requested
| |
|
