A number of popular sport fish locations such as those in Texas, mainland Mexico and the Yucatan, and Florida's west coast have experienced declines in numbers of tarpon available to anglers over the past two decades. The Texas coast used to be home to a healthy tarpon fishery, which today is all but non-existent. Other regions report a surge in tarpon numbers, such as off Tampa.

As tarpon are still killed for roe and meat for food in various parts of their suspected migration range — Central America in particular — knowledge of the migration pattern is key to their protection.

Tarpon, like bonefish, have received very little attention from the scientific community. Their migration and dispersion patterns, mortality rates, spawning patterns and locations, and lifetime growth potential are still relatively unknown. The research work conducted to date on tarpon (age-growth, reproduction, feeding habits) has not adequately sampled the entire size distribution of the fish over the range of the fish. Much work is needed to support effective management decision-making for this species to ensure its long-term sustainability.