Bonefish Research in Cuba
Part of my job at Mote Marine Laboratory is Director of Operations and Research for the non-profit group Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited.  The duties of this position are numerous, and one of these duties is to oversee, conduct, and determine the feasibility of research on bonefish and tarpon (and to a lesser extent permit). BTU has a science-based Research Framework that provides guidance on priorities for research and conservation. Top among these priorities are which species of bonefish are being caught (there are three species that can be caught on the flats), what are their growth rates (preliminary data indicates that Florida bonefish grow 2 to 3 times faster than bonefish in the Caribbean), and how many are there (we do not have population size information for any location except the Florida keys). As part of an effort to expand BTU’s bonefish research program, I’ve been speaking with scientists and lodge owners from around the Caribbean about either helping them out with their ongoing research or helping them to begin research projects. As part of this effort, I recently traveled to Cuba to meet with National Park biologists (who double as fishing guides) to get a first-hand look at their research programs and their fisheries for bonefish and tarpon.

I first became aware of the bonefish research in Cuba after receiving an email that contained a summary for presentations at the upcoming Third International Bonefish Tarpon Symposium. The email was from Vinola Valdes and Cotayo Cedeno, whose presentations were to be about the bonefish fishery and environmental education about bonefish and their habitats. We began a conversation about bonefish research via email, and after a few emails we began the paperwork necessary for me to travel to Cuba to observe their research program. After rescheduling twice because of hurricanes, I finally made it to Cuba in September, 2008.

Vinola and Cotayo are Specialists at Cienaga de Zapata National Park, on the south coast of Cuba, adjacent to the Bay of Pigs. They also double as fishing guides. Cienaga de Zapata National Park is a United Nations Biosphere reserve, and is managed for long-term conservation. The Park contains an ecosystem that is similar to the Florida Everglades in many ways, including habitats and freshwater flows. The bonefish fishery occurs on extensive flats, and tarpon are mostly caught within one or more rivers that empty into the ocean. Unlike the Florida Everglades, however, the Park habitats are nearly pristine – there is no pollution or flood control structures that impact fish and habitats. The only interruption of natural freshwater flows occurs along a road that transverses the Park, where freshwater flows are funneled through numerous under-road culverts.

The resources (bonefish and tarpon fisheries, birdwatching, ecotours) in the Park are managed for the long term, with management modeled to some extent on Costa Rica’s conservation plan.  The goal is to use strong ecotourism to sustain the Park. 

There are strict controls on fishing effort to ensure the fisheries stay high quality for the future.  For example, all of the guides who work in the Park are Park employees.  The flats area (Las Salinas) where the bonefish fishery is located is approximately 36 square miles. This does not include an area of equal or larger size that is not presently fished. There are plans to expand fishing into some of this additional area, perhaps in 2009.  No take is allowed in the fishing areas.  The fishery is managed for the long-term at a sustainable level. To the extent that some of the bonefish and tarpon larvae from fish spawned in Cuba may reach Florida’s shores, the management of the bonefish and tarpon fisheries in Cuba is a good thing.

Las Salinas is divided into 15 zones of roughly equal size. A maximum of six guides are allowed in a zone on a day, and no zone can be fished two days in a row.  Each boat is limited to one guide and one angler.  This ensures that the fish don’t receive too much pressure. Only fly fishing is allowed in the Park, and each guide records the number of bonefish caught-and-released, number of fish lost, and any fish that died. Based on catch data from The Bahamas, the goal of the Park is for anglers to average 10 bonefish per day during a typical 8 hour fishing day.  This program is run by Vinola, who has more than 10 years of data that allow him to monitor the health of the fishery.  In 2007, there were 855 total fishing days, and 5,016 bonefish hooked (average of 6 bonefish per fishing day).  Of course, some anglers caught many more than 10 bonefish per day, and other caught few or none, but the average is well within the catch target of 10 bonefish per day.

Starting in 2007, Vinola began tagging bonefish, but on a small scale. He and other guides have tagged 100 bonefish, and have already had one recapture. He is tagging bonefish to determine their movement patterns so they can better manage fishing effort in the zones.

The goal is to tag more than 2,000 bonefish, which will provide very good data on bonefish movements within and among the different fishing zones (and thus whether the zone strategy is effective) and even allow estimates of population size.  They do not yet have data on juveniles, bonefish diet, growth rates, or which species are in the fishery, all of which will be necessary components of long-term conservation, but hopefully those research projects are coming soon.

All material copyright Aaron Adams 2007, 2008, and beyond, unless otherwise noted.