Historical development of recreational billfishing in Bermuda and the significance of catches of large blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)

Abstract

Directed fishing effort for blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and white marlin (Tetrapterus albidus) in Bermuda commenced in the early 1970s. The first annual billfish tournament was held in 1974. This 4-day tournament has been held every year since its inception and, with improvements in charter fishing vessels and fishing gear, local captains have become increasingly proficient at catching marlin. The development of a strong billfish conservation movement in the mid-1980s in the tropical western Atlantic promoted tag and release of marlin. This conservation ethic has been translated into a mean release rate in Bermuda of 91.6% for blue marlin and 97% for white marlin over the past 15 years. The billfish tournament has become primarily a release event, owing to the 227-kg (500 lbs) minimum weight for landing blue marlin. The catch of a blue marlin weighing 512 kg (1130 lbs) in 1984 gave Bermuda prominence in the billfishing world at that time. Since that event, an additional eight blue marlin weighing over 454 kg (1000 lbs) have been caught in Bermuda, giving the island a reputation as a primary site for catching large fish. This has had socio-economic benefits for the island, as foreign anglers contract local charter fishing vessels in search of a trophy blue marlin and foreign fishing boats come to fish Bermuda waters with attendant economic benefits for the island.