Bonefish Conservation
Prior to the development of our bonefish research program, little was known about the spatial distribution bonefish stock abundance or the movements of animals between important fishing areas of south Florida and the Florida Keys . In consultation with concerned anglers and professional guides we developed a program to assess the stock distribution and abundance of bonefish using well-tested quantitative methods in fishery science. Initiated in 1998, the conventional anchor tag-and-recapture for south Florida bonefish study enlists voluntary efforts of professional bonefish guides and avid anglers who ply the waters of the Florida Keys year-round. Each volunteer receives a “tagging kit” composed of Avery-Denison Swiftacher Mark III Long ® pistol grip tag applicator, Floy FD-94 t-bar tags, 1 datasheet, 2 pencils, and a tupperware container. The tupperware container is used to contain everything and protect the gear from saltwater. Our program utilizes voluntary efforts by bonefish guides and experienced anglers. Volunteers catch bonefish using hook-and-line gear (usually either fly-rod or spin-cast gears). Using the small pistol grip tag-gun, relatively thin high-grade polymer plastic tags with a T-bar are inserted and “anchored” between the dorsal musculature and bone structures. After application, the anchor tags look like a small white twig protruding slightly from dorsal area of the fish (Figure 1).
Figure 1.- Steps in conventional anchor tagging of bonefish: (A) placing the anchor tag in the dorsal area of the fish; (B) measuring length and weight of the fish; (C) tag placement showing request for tag number, fish size weight and length), and location of capture; (D) careful r elease of a bonefish bearing a UM-BTU anchor tag.
When the tag is secured in the captured fish, volunteers then record the date, tag number, the size (i.e., length and weight of the captured bonefish), and the catch location. Fish length is determined using measuring tapes placed either on the boat deck or the ice cooler. In most cases, the weight of the fish was determined using “boga grips” whose scales that have been certified by the International Game Fish Association. The relatively small plastic tag bears a unique identification number along with the printed message “RECORD TAG NO., LOCATION, FISH SIZE, AND CALL 1-888-754-7531.” Fishermen who capture tagged bonefish then record the requested information and call us on our toll-free number. Ultimately, bonefish released bearing anchor t ags that are recaptured with this essential information returned to us provide key resource management data on growth, survivorship, movement behaviors and migrations, and potentially will allow estimation of population size necessary to build a sustainable fishery.
Results from the Bonefish Tag-and-Recapture Program
To date, 4,617 bonefish have been tagged with conventional anchor tags throughout south Florida. Tagging effort has continued to climb at an increased rate over the last several years. In 2005 the program recorded an all-time high level of 1,198 tagged bonefish. Overall, volunteer tagging effort has consistently increased every year since the program's inception. In fact, with increases in program funding and due to awards from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and Friend of the Sanctuary, we have had substantial increases in both tagging effort and recaptures in recent years. We believe the evident pattern from our tagging activities is that deployment of more tags, on average, equates to more recaptured fish and thus more critical information to support fishery management decision making. As the number of tagged bonefish increased there was also an increase in the number of recaptured bonefish.
Tagging Program Reporting Data
Rather than continue to ask volunteers to send in individual postcards reporting fish tagging, we have devised a new system which we hope will be quicker for them. A waterproof field sheet is provided to record the vital information on each fish tagged. Since we now have over 400 data points with excellent data on the habitats from which fish were captured, we no longer ask volunteers to record that information. All that is required is the number of the tag, the date on which the fish was caught, the length and weight of the fish, and the approximate location of the catch. This last piece of information is not intended to reveal an angler's fishing spots - rather, we only need the general area in which the fish was released. Typical areas listed include "Oceanside of Elliot Key," "Arsnicker Keys," "Backcountry Islamorada," and the like. This way, when a fish is recaptured we can determine whether it stayed in the same general area or whether it moved significantly far away.
We also include a section for "Comments" on the field sheet. Here volunteers can list any other useful information regarding the catch, or guides can provide the name and phone numbers for the client who caught the fish. If the fish is recaptured, we can then call this angler to let them know where their fish reappeared after it was released.
After a fish is tagged and all information is recorded on the data sheet, volunteers then have two ways to relay these data to B.R.P. researchers. We have created a reporting form on the world wide web, where those familiar with the internet can report fish tagging electronically. If they prefer, volunteers can also report tagging via our toll-free voice mail line.
Once the field sheet is completely filled in, it is dropped in the mail and sent back to the University of Miami. We then use the field sheet to double check all data provided online or by voicemail, and store it for our permanent records.