Hi Macabi,
Such a simple question, such a potentially long answer.
In the Florida Keys, more than 6,000 bonefish have been tagged. Scientists are now working on the data, and will have an estimate of the bonefish population size soon. This estimate will then be compared to the Bonefish Census estimate for an overall estimate of the Keys bonefish population size.
The tagging project has also informed us that although many bonefish stay in relatively local areas, many also move considerable distances, such as from Biscayne Bay to Key West. We've also had two bonefish that were tagged in the Keys recaptured in Andors, Bahamas. This type of movement information is important for management. We plan to use this information to push for a regional bonefish management plan. We are also in the planning stages of a Caribbean-wide tagging program. This will enable us to compare bonefish population sizes and bonefish movements in numerous locations - some with more healthy populations than others - which will help with conservation and management. We hope to spread the tagging project to Mexico, Belize, and The Bahamas. We intend this Caribbean-wide project to be 3 to 5 years.
Aaron
