Have you fished for tarpon in South Florida? Help take the pulse of the fishery by taking our short, anonymous survey at BTT.org/Tarpon-Survey.
Building on the success of last year’s Florida Keys Bonefish Assessment, BTT and research partners have launched a new survey using the memories of anglers and guides to assess the health and status of the Florida Keys tarpon fishery. The survey uses a ‘best days’ approach, asking guides and anglers to share information about their best tarpon fishing ever and their best tarpon fishing in 2025 in the South Florida regions where they fished for them. By combining these two pieces of information, we can assess the current state of the tarpon fishery, how it’s changed over time, and explore factors that might have influenced changes in the fishery. These include habitat loss and degradation, water quality declines, and marine use.
Quantifying changes in the fishery and fish population provides powerful information that we can use to push for effective management. 75% of the world’s fisheries don’t have a stock assessment. This is true for valuable sportfish like bonefish, tarpon, and permit. In order for conservation measures to be effective, we need high-quality information on how our fisheries are doing. Our greatest source of this information are the guides and anglers who know the fisheries best.
Last year, BTT conducted an alternative fishery assessment using the ‘best days’ approach for the Florida Keys’ bonefish fishery. We are using these survey results in our efforts to improve management of the resource, and to examine causes of the historical decline and recent recovery of the fishery. We will repeat these surveys every five years or so as a way to keep track of fisheries trends over time and inform resource managers on the need for management revisions. In the coming years, we will expand this approach to other areas where we work.
Responses to the Tarpon Survey will be collected through the end of March of 2026. The results will be shared later this year.