By Alex Ford July 2016 for Amberjack Journal
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ood News. The easiest way for anglers to help the bonefish population is by catching them!Bonefish and Tarpon Trust have created a bonefish genetics program that requires angler participation in order to gather data information on bonefish caught all over the Caribbean. Anglers can request genetic testing kits from BTT and take small fin clippings from any bonefish they catch. The fin clippings go into envelopes which are then sent back to BTT for testing. They are looking for bonefish samples caught anywhere in the Caribbean, including Florida, Central America, South America, Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos.
Who said research had to be boring? Photo by A. Derr
Here’s what we know so far. Bonefish spawn in deeper waters under full moons in the middle of winter. The bonefish larvae that hatch from the eggs drift in the open ocean for an average of 53 days, some washing up onto local flats and others getting pushed by stronger currents which take them farther away. This is the point at which we need more knowledge about bonefish habits. We don’t know if protecting spawning grounds and bonefish habitat is a local issue, or if the conservation net must be thrown wider in order to give bonefish the best odds.
