Protection and Conservation

It is no mere coincidence that the majority of anglers who have ever stalked, hooked, played and released Bonefish or Tarpon consider them to be two of fishing’s supreme challenges. Only a rare few species can match the 22-mph plus burst speeds of bonefish, or the airborne acrobatics and raw strength of a determined Tarpon. Once you hook up with either of them, you feel the unbridled survival instincts of two of the earth’s oldest creatures.

Members of the Elopiformes order, Bonefish and Tarpon have survived 125 million years of evolution. The fact that they are primitive suggests that from the beginning they were blessed with superb physical characteristics that enabled them to elude the best aquatic predators of all time.

Their greatest challenge, however, lies ahead as the global expansion and dominance of the human race takes its toll on their marine environment. With a catch and release ethic becoming more common place, recreational fishing for Bonefish and Tarpon is probably the least of their concerns. But commercial fishing practices may be having a big impact on both species and their food supply. The effects of pollution and increased boat traffic over the past few decades may also be adversely affecting the delicate estuarine ecosystems critical to their survival.

Considering their immense popularity, it is amazing how little is actually known about the reproductive behavior of Bonefish and Tarpon and the nursery conditions needed to promote healthy stocks. The knowledge gained from further study could eventually reach the point where we know enough about their complex early life to someday actually produce and raise them in hatcheries. Because of their complexity, it will not be as simple as redfish or snook, but our research efforts might one day provide us with the tools needed to augment the population, assuming that boat traffic, pollution control, commercial fishing and food supply issues can also be managed in productive ways.

History has proven to our BTT founders that many of the world’s greatest fisheries have had to face near collapse before any proactive intervention took place. Rather than risk a critical or perhaps irreversible decline of these two extraordinary species, BTT members are making a stand today to preserve Bonefish and Tarpon fishing for many generations to come.