On May 15-18 Billfish Conservation Project Scientific Director Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt with our Director of Operations Juan Manuel Cobar went to the LACF (Latin America and Caribbean Fisheries Congress) organized in Cancun Mexico.
The American Fisheries Society welcomed all people interested in fisheries science, management and conservation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to join us for this important event. The Congress unify fresh and salt water and marine systems and include traditional science presentations, training opportunities, student events and much more.
The subject where our team was part of it and made a presentation was Billfish Management and Conservation: Implications for Fishing, Tourism, and Coastal Communities in which interesting presentation were made from students, scientists and other involved entities from Puerto Rico, USA, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
The Highlight of this interesting presentations was Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt presentation called Seasonally stratified ocean features influence seasonal availability of Sailfish to sport fisheries. Topics like the following were included and well explained by Dr. Ehrhardt
- Sailfish habitat use driven by seasonal ocean features
- The Guatemalan Sailfish sport fisheries and forced hyperstability characteristics of catch per trip
- Sailfish distribution and environmental features contributing to habitat stratifications
Guatemalan fisheries are so important for the region in which plenty of activity and habitat stratifications are involved in the succesfull catch rates in the country, making it unique for anglers to enjoy double digit numbers of catch and release on billfish.
You can check on the presentation highlights of important factors that happen in Guatemala to make it the Sailfish Capital of the World.
