Tracking Bonefish in the Bahamas
Throughout the islands of The Bahamas, bonefishing is not only a popular sport, but also an important component of the tourism industry that contributes greatly to the economic health of many communities. For such a valuable fishery, surprisingly little is known about bonefish movements, particularly when it comes to migrations associated with their reproduction.
The Fisheries Conservation Foundation is working with a number of Bahamian partners to support the vital research efforts of the Flats Ecology and Conservation Program (FECP). The FECP is an international coalition of fisheries scientists working on various aspects of flats ecology and bonefish conservation. We have been actively working in The Bahamas since 1999, conducing cutting-edge research to provide critical information needed to develop truly effective conservation strategies for the flats fishery. We recently completed two projects using acoustic telemetry to study bonefish movements on Abaco and Grand Bahama and just initiated a new project to investigate their migration patterns across the entire Little Bahama Bank. Learn about our latest research and outreach:
Research
Grand Bahama to Abaco — Where do Bonefish go to Spawn?
Eleuthera Acoustic Tracking Study Summary
Grand Bahama Acoustic Tracking Study Summary
Bonefish Infographic — Learn More About Bonefish
Outreach Events
Presenting the findings of investigations on Bonefish is a key step in including stakeholders in the process of building a sustainable bonefish fishery, FCF works to hold information exchange events with local groups whenever possible. These include:
Exchange Event in Abaco: FCF Scientists Aaron Shultz and Liz Wallace visited Abaco in February 2019 to present and discuss priorities, research needs, and conservation strategies with the fishing community there. You can read more about their visit in the News section of our website.
Abaco Science Alliance Conference: FCF research partner, Cindy Pinder of the Abaco Guides Association, made a presentation at this biennial conference, held in January 2018, about our recent project on understanding bonefish movement throughout the Little Bahama Bank. Cindy also introduced the new citizen science proposal “Eyes on the Flats”, that would provide outreach activities to educate locals and area schools about the conservation of bonefish populations, the flats ecosystem that supports them, and the importance of the bonefishing in the Bahamian economy.
Bahamas Natural History Conference: This conference is a biannual event that allows researchers who are working in The Bahamas to gather and share their latest work and findings. The March 2018 conference had presentations spanning work on invasive species, birds, iguanas, sharks, and, of course, bonefish. Owen O’Shea of the Centre for Ocean Research and Education (CORE) presented the most recent finding on the bonefish tracking study in the Little Bahama Bank.
American Fisheries Society Conference – International Flats Fishing Symposium: The last ten years has seen an explosion of research into the biology, management, and conservation of species of fish that inhabit and are angled on saltwater flats. Although much of this research has been conducted in the Caribbean on bonefish, tarpon, and permit, global efforts targeting other species have both provided novel information and revealed similarities in the conservation challenges faced by these extremely valuable and fragile fisheries. Held in August 2017 in Tampa, FL, the International Flats Fishing Symposium featured researchers from around the world to share the latest technological advances (e.g., in genetics, remote telemetry, physiology, stable isotope analyses, etc.) in an effort to summarize what we now know about important topics like reproductive ecology, recruitment, speciation and local adaptation, etc., and identify what we still need to learn. A full list of presentation titles, speakers, and abstracts can be found at: https://afs.confex.com/afs/2017/meetingapp.cgi/Session/5402
The Bahamas Bonefish Conference. Held in in Freeport, Grand Bahama in August 2017, this conference brought together bonefish researchers, guides, lodge owners, and anglers who are enthusiastic about sustaining this lucrative industry. Conference attendees engaged in interactive sessions where they participated in discussion on what we known about bonefish biology, working on an agenda for future bonefish research, building a strategy for conservation, prioritizing education and outreach needs, and the needs of the flyfishing industry. Read more about the BBC at: https://www.fishconserve.org/bahamas-bonefish-conference/
Feel free to contact us to learn more about our work at: info@fishconserve.org
Our Bahamas acoustic tracking research on bonefish is part of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN). The telemetry data from our tagged bonefish will be added to the Ocean Tracking Network’s global database. The Ocean Tracking Network is helping to develop the global infrastructure needed to build a comprehensive dataset on the movement of sea animals in relation to the ocean’s changing physical properties.
