There’s a lot of good fisheries conservation work being done in saltwater these days, what with the appreciation anglers have developed for fish like permit, tarpon and bonefish over the last two decades or so. Angler science is becoming a mainstream idea—just a few years ago, I helped catch and tag permit in Mexico’s Ascension Bay, and efforts like this are becoming increasingly common.
In the video below, the guides from the Silver Kings video series visit San Pedro in Belize to catch and tag massive tarpon, all with the hopes of learning more about the species, including locating where they spawn, how they migrate and how separate populations interact. Tarpon a far-ranging fish, traveling as far north as Chesapeake Bay and as far south as southern South America. They’re challenging fly-rod fish, known for their leaps and runs. They’re not called the “silver king” for nothing.
The anglers are fishing with The Fieldworkers Club, which puts scientists and anglers together for the purpose of research and conservation. By tagging the tarpon that hit flies, the anglers are helping scientists witih data collection that can be used in all kinds of fisheries research. There’s real value to it, and fishing for science might never have been more fun.
— Chris Hunt