
Billfish are a few of the most understudied fish on the planet, however they’re actually one of the sought-after recreation fish. In any case, who wouldn’t wish to catch a giant marlin or sailfish, identical to Santiago from The Previous Man and the Sea?
The shortage of true scientific knowledge surrounding billfish is a part of what led Costa (the sun shades firm) to launch what they’ve dubbed their Marlin Fly Undertaking. The Marlin Fly Undertaking is a billfish analysis mission that makes use of fly sort out to land striped marlin. As soon as the fish are landed, they’re fitted with a satellite tv for pc tag, then launched again to the ocean. Costa labored with the Worldwide Recreation Fish Affiliation (IGFA) and The Billfish Basis (TBF) to hold out this analysis challenge.
It passed off in Magdalena Bay in Southwestern Baja, Mexico, which is house to a big striped marlin migration for a couple of months out of the yr. Over 24 hours of fly fishing, Costa’s workforce of anglers landed 15 striped marlin, all on the fly, and fitted them with satellite tv for pc tags.
“By this collaboration, Costa’s Marlin Fly Undertaking is ready to gather unparalleled knowledge about Striped Marlin that may assist play a pivotal function in supporting conservation and enhancing fisheries administration efforts,” mentioned Peter Chaibongsai, Director of Conservation Applications at The Billfish Basis. “We’re honored to be part of such a singular challenge that places neighborhood on the forefront. The robust bond cast with the locals not solely permits them, but additionally fosters a way of advocacy. This ensures that the challenge’s impression extends far past scientific analysis – it creates a community of passionate advocates devoted to conserving this useful resource for years to return.”
The satellite tv for pc tags will primarily monitor publish launch survivability, migration patterns, swimming depth, and water temperature, to raised assist scientists perceive how striped marlin transfer all through their habitat, and to get extra knowledge on the challenges they’re presently going through.
Along with fishing for the marlin and deploying these tags, Costa produced a movie to focus on their efforts. The movie ought to assist interact a broader swath of the conservation neighborhood, and you may watch it under.