Catch Marlin, Tag, Name, Release…and now TRACK

Gray FishTag Research Update from Costa Rica

Bridging the gap between Professional Fishermen and Science!

Tag and Release Fishing

Photos by Sea Fly Sport Fishing Costa Rica

Hey Look..There Goes My Marlin!

Thanks to a recent (ongoing) scientific study by Gray FishTag Research grayfishtagresearch.org, you can now catch, release, tag and NAME your very own billfish (sailfish or marlin) in Costa Rica. Gray Fishtag Research is working with several local Costa Rica sport fishing charters and lodges to help them carry out research on the behaviour of these sought after “catch and release” (by law) protected sport fish.

How the Program Works

GrayFishTag Research (GFR) Tags are provided to participating professional Costa Rica charter fishing captains and mates for free. When an angler catches a fish it is tagged and released. The angler can then name the fish and the details of the capture are recorded on a tag registration card with the corresponding tag id. The card is then returned to GFR, or the Tag information can be recorded on this very website at any time.

When a tagged fish is recaptured and GFR is notified, the catch information is analyzed against the original tag and release information.

Complete details of the catch, including the straight-line distance the fish traveled and its growth along with a Tag Recapture Certificate are sent to the anglers who recaptured it. The anglers who first tagged the fish will also receive the new information about the recapture.

By observing and measuring the distance and direction traveled between tagging and recapture it will provide scientists with valuable information on migration patterns, fish stocks, growth rates and much more. Environmental factors will be considered as well.

Sailfish Example

The observations also enable researchers to study the structure of fish stocks, and assess whether there is any mixing between populations that are geographically distant from one another. This information is vital to improve the understanding and management of valuable game and sport fish species and will help sustain our fisheries for our future generations.

Whats Happening With the Project Now?

As of today – GrayFishTag Research is currently in Costa Rica tagging Pacific Blue Marlin in the South and Central regions of Costa Rica. The new round of tagging accompanied by researchers from a well known university has already successfully tagged and released over 20 individuals for study. If you’re one of the next lucky anglers to find one of these tags on the blue marlin you catch in Costa Rica…you can name it! You can than also log into the system and track the movement of your new blue buddy.

Fecop.org (FishCosta.Org) is a big supporter of this project. We will be publishing more information about this amazing study when we have compiled the complete tag list and other observations. Check back soon or sign up for the FECOP mailing list below for updates!