Conservation Partners Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Deep Water Cay collaborated for the 2013 fishing season on a bonefish tagging drive for Deep Water Cay lodge guests and BTT members which resulted in 570 bonefish being tagged by visiting anglers, BTT members, and guides.
An extensive tagging program such as the one created at Deep Water Cay not only helps raise awareness of tag and recapture programs but allows Bonefish & Tarpon Trust scientists to take a closer look at the population and track their health.
Bonefish populations have declined in other locations – typically due to habitat loss – and recovery is very slow, if it happens. The tagging program established at Deep Water Cay was designed to encourage visiting anglers and local guides to get involved and assist in gathering the critical information needed to identify habitats and locations important to the fishery so they can be protected for long term conservation of the fishery and its habitats.
To highlight the importance of the mission and to encourage participation, a number of reward tags were placed on bonefish in the waters surrounding Deep Water Cay prior to the 2013 fishing season. Anglers staying at the lodge and fishing with Deep Water Cay guides had the opportunity to become Bonefish & Tarpon Trust members and win a cash prize for recapturing a bonefish with the specially numbered tag.
Despite the number of tagged bonefish which were caught prior to and during the fishing season, no reward tag fish were recaptured so the program and the grand prize of $10,000 will be carried over and continue at Deep Water Cay through May 30, 2014. The program has been a success in many ways: many new anglers were made aware of BTT and became BTT members and are contributing to the long-term health of the fishery; there is an increased awareness among anglers, guides, and even resource managers about the need for conservation of the bonefish fishery; and the information from the tagging program is already being used to design habitat protection plans. We thank Deep Water Cay, their staff and guides for making the program successful, and to participating anglers who for making a difference. Stay tuned for updates and more tagging.
