In the fast rising sportfishing capital of the world, Costa Rica, the Gray FishTag Research program was launched in late January 2015. Since then, over 6000 Gray FishTag Research tags have been deployed on 30 different species of fish from around the world. In Costa Rica, Gray FishTag Research currently has four official Research Centers: Crocodile Bay Resort, Los Sueños Marina & Resort, Marina Pez Vela, and The Zancudo Lodge.
Costa Rica
- There have been over 150 individual fish from 10 different fish species tagged and registered with the Gray FishTag Research (GFTR) online system.
- The 10 fish species include: Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Pacific Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Dolphinfish, Roosterfish, Pacific Black Snook, Crevalle Jack, Barracuda, and Cubera Snapper.
- The Pacific Sailfish was most registered tagged fish species in the 6 month time period, with 99 tags registered.
- Roosterfish had a total of 24 tags registered with Gray FishTag Research (GFTR).
- Blue Marlin came in 3rd with 12 tags registered.
- The recapture of 5 Roosterfish and 1 Black Snook with Gray FishTag Research (GFTR) conventional tags.
- The tag recapture data from the roosterfish and snook shows primarily coastal migrations patterns of both north and south. The roosterfish exhibited the longest straight line distance movements between time of tag deployment and tag recovery.
- All the roosterfish and snook tag recoveries have occurred in Costa Rican waters.
- The first ever successful deployment of a satellite tag on a roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis). The satellite tag was successfully deployed in the waters off Costa Rica.
The success of the Gray FishTag Research program would not be possible without the support of Costa Rica professional fishing community and our Gray FishTag Research centers: Crocodile Bay Marina, Los Sueños Resort & Marina, Marina Pez Vela, and The Zancudo Lodge.
For more info on Gray FishTag Research visit their website at http://grayfishtagresearch.org/