A Forum

     The objective of this forum is to further the cause of research, cooperative management, and conservation of tarpon and bonefish.

 Overview

     Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico, an important center of the recreational tarpon and bonefish fishery, is the site of the International Tarpon and Bonefish Forum.  The workshop, organized by the scientists and anglers of Tarpon Tomorrow and Bone Fish and Tarpon Unlimited, seeks to coordinate efforts at research and restoration of tarpon and bonefish, and the critical habitat for these species throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Atlantic.  

     These species support valuable recreational fisheries in the Atlantic from North Carolina to Brazil and Africa, across the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and in the Pacific Ocean off Panama.  Researchers around the world have worked to increase our understanding of the ecology, life history, and population dynamics of this important sportfish.  This knowledge is leading to an increased awareness of management opportunities which may arise to enhance existing populations and to re-establish tarpon in areas from which fisheries have been lost.

     Cooperation between researchers, fishery managers, government agencies, and tarpon fishermen brings a spirit of optimism to the conservation and management of tarpon.  This workshop is designed to foster this spirit.  Researchers from Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean are invited to present their findings and fishery managers will have the opportunity to hear these reports and to discuss how this knowledge enhances international management strategies.  

 Objective

     The goal of this workshop is to bring together widely ranging researchers, managers, and fishermen in an atmosphere of sharing and synthesis.  A special effort will be made to understand the role of Mexican researchers, fishery managers, and angler groups in the conservation of these shared recreational resources.

 Technical Sessions

     Presentations summarizing results of tarpon and bonefish research, monitoring, management, and related issues are invited.  Proposed subjects will include but are not limited to early life history, development, and distribution of larvae; juvenile and adult ecology including age and growth, migration, and distribution, and population genetics; culture and enhancement; and fisheries regulation and management.  Review papers on various aspects of tarpon and bonefish biology are welcome.

Roundtable Discussions

     Roundtable discussions will follow the technical sessions.  The first discussion will examine the current status of tarpon and bonefish research and future research opportunities and needs.  Symposium speakers, representatives of granting agencies, and interested individuals will discuss on-going research, needs for future research, and opportunities for financial support.

     The second roundtable discussion will examine management of tarpon and bonefish with special consideration of the role of Mexico and the Caribbean countries in the management of these fisheries.  Inter-agency and international cooperation will be emphasized. 

     The final roundtable discussion will examine cooperation between fishermen, guides, scientists, and fishery managers.  We will explore ways fishermen and guides can assist in research and management, and ways scientists can provide relevant feedback to their collaborators.