Dolphin – do we hold their precious future in the palm of our hand?

Do your part as a concerned angler to insure the future success of this prolific fishery.

If the decision were mine, I would say dolphin are the perfect blue water target. Studies have shown this highly pelagic species is capable of reaching four feet in length and a weight of 40 pounds in less than 12 months! When you combine this astonishing growth rate with their aggressive behavior, brilliant coloration, stunning aerial acrobatics and favor-ability on the dinner table, it is easy to see why the species is the most targeted of all pelagic predators. 

Prior to the mid-1990s, dolphin were primarily harvested only by recreational anglers. When commercial fishermen began their pursuit of the species after swordfish and tuna stocks declined, major concerns arose among saltwater anglers along the entire Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Fishermen feared that without a stringent management plan in place, dolphin stocks could easily be over-fished.

In 1998, the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) was directed, in conjunction with the Gulf and Caribbean Councils, to develop a joint plan for both dolphin and wahoo. However, because of differences in the regional fisheries, little progress was made. Finally, in 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce approved development of a separate management plan by the SAFMC which eventually resulted in the implementation of a management plan for the Atlantic fishery.

Still, science had little concrete data documenting the movements, occurrence and dispersal patterns for dolphin present in U.S. waters. This, coupled with strong, vocal support for additional research on the species, helped the Marine Resources Division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) initiate a comprehensive tagging program.

In developing the program, managers found that there were many unknown facets of the dolphin's life cycle. For example, little was known about migration patterns along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The geographic range of dolphin found in U.S. waters was, and still is, very important to developing effective management. Rule makers must know if stocks fished locally are shared with other countries, such as the Bahamas, or anyone outside the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) controlled by the U.S.

The amazing information generated by the SCDNR study inspired anglers to request that the research continue to progress. With lack of government funding, Cooperative Science Services, LLC, a private consulting company, was established to continue the dolphin research project. CSS was founded by Don Hammond, principal investigator for the SCDNR study prior to his retirement from the same organization. In part because the species is not considered a priority, and the study is not centered in the Gulf of Mexico, CSS would have to rely solely on private donations to finance its operation.

2007 Objectives

Looking ahead, the goals of CSS’s dolphin tagging program are to establish primary migration patterns along the east coast of the United States and the northern Gulf of Mexico. To accomplish this goal, the study intends to meet the following objectives:

• Utilize experienced offshore fishermen who have participated in previous studies to tag and release 1,000 dolphin off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in 2007.
• Develop a unified, online system for anglers to report tagged fish. The system will provide the necessary geographic and biological data required to meet project goals.
• Establish a database on the occurrence of dolphin along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts using release and recapture data.
• Determine the percentage of dolphin affiliated with Sargasso weed by utilizing recovered tag records.
• Develop a uniform tag recovery reporting system that will reveal geographic and biological parameters for recovered tags and determine the recovery rate by user group based on tag recovery reports.
• Develop an extensive public relations campaign to keep the media and public updated on the progress of the study. Develop a website that provides information to recreational fishermen about the objectives of the dolphin tagging study, the life history of dolphin and the identification of common dolphin versus pompano dolphin (a smaller, less common sub species).
• Present findings of the study in formalized discussions to fishery managers, fishing organizations and other events/meetings with interested parties.
• Share project data with the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC), the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (GOMFMC), the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) and NOAA Fisheries.

As a concerned professional, my tip to you is to get involved! Anglers interested in tagging dolphin for the program should contact Don Hammond, marine fisheries biologist with Cooperative Science Services, LLC.