Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) is dedicated to science-based conservation and the long-term sustainability of saltwater fisheries, including those within Everglades National Park. As emerging technologies reshape how anglers interact with marine resources, it is important to evaluate their impacts through the lens of fish behavior, ecosystem dynamics, and cumulative stress on our fisheries.
Forward-facing sonar is a way to increase angler efficiency (catching more fish per day) by enabling real-time detection and tracking of individual fish, including those that are not actively feeding and not visible at the surface. While BTT has not conducted direct studies on the effects of this technology on tarpon, existing research and ecological understanding provide significant context.
BTT-supported research has shown that sharks frequently associate with tarpon aggregations, particularly during peak seasonal periods. When a tarpon is hooked by an angler, it becomes more vulnerable due to fatigue and impaired movement, increasing the likelihood of shark depredation. Similar dynamics have been observed in bonefish schools. Technologies that increase angler-tarpon encounters and catch-rates can therefore be expected to increase the frequency of shark depredation events.
Additionally, forward-facing sonar has the potential to eliminate natural refuges that have historically limited fishing pressure. Tarpon holding deep or remaining inactive—behaviors that previously reduced their exposure to anglers—can now be detected and targeted. This is a fundamental shift in the balance between fish behavior and angling pressure, comparable to now prohibited practices in Boca Grande, Florida, that targeted non-feeding tarpon with jigs used for snagging.
More broadly, fisheries science consistently shows that increases in angler efficiency—through the use of technology—heightens fishing pressure, resulting in overfishing in the same way that spotter planes were once used to fish for bluefin tuna, a practice that is now prohibited. The stress of additional fishing pressure from technology exacerbates other stressors, such as habitat loss, water quality issues, and predation. Around the world, fisheries managers and angling communities are beginning to respond to these technological advances, including restrictions on drones and other tools that substantially alter traditional fishing dynamics.
Given the cumulative pressures facing South Florida’s world-renowned fisheries, BTT believes that forward-facing sonar represents a controllable source of additional stress. Applying precautionary, science-informed management approaches in sensitive and iconic ecosystems like Everglades National Park is both prudent and consistent with long-standing conservation principles.
BTT stands with the fishing guide community in supporting thoughtful evaluation and management of emerging technologies to ensure the long-term health of Florida’s recreational tarpon fishery, which is vital to the state’s coastal communities and economies.