September 19th Chapter Meeting - The Texas Tarpon Migration

Speaker: Ivonne Blandon
(Fisheries Biologist studying Tarpon Migration)

By: Todd Fleming
Vice President – Alamo Fly Fishers

Through the first half of the 20th Century, tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) were plentiful on the Texas coast, and especially on the middle coast. Landmarks such as the Tarpon Inn in Port Aransas were made famous by this legendary fish that attracted presidents and dignitaries to catch a “silver king” from our local waters. The pinnacle of a fishing career often came with the explosion of chromed muscle that signaled a tarpon hook-up. There was nothing more thrilling than feeling the power of this magnificent creature, and watching the tail-walking aerial acrobatics of these graceful beauties.

Tarpon Photo by Scott Sommerlatte

Then, the tarpon seemed to just disappear. By the early 1970’s this sought-after sport fish was rarely seen off Texas, and even more rarely landed. And no one really knows why. Biologists point to several factors that likely contributed to the species’ decline. The construction of reservoirs and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway diminished and altered freshwater inflows; coastal development filled-in critical habitat, and water quality declined as population and industry expanded. In addition to those changes, commercial fishing pressure in Mexico increased over the years and often targeted tarpon.

Our speaker this month is Ivonne Blandon, a fisheries biologist and genetics expert with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Ms. Blandon, a native of Panama, obtained her B.S. from the University of Panama, and her M.S. from Auburn University. She is currently working as a Natural Resources Specialist V at the Marine Development Center in Corpus Christi. Ms. Blandon has been leading research on tarpon genetics to evaluate migratory populations in the Gulf of Mexico. Her presentation will be a summary of this research, and explain the potential role sport fishermen can play in the conservation of this species.

Tarpon are among the elite game fish of the world, supporting valuable recreational fisheries in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the western Atlantic and the Caribbean. Along the Texas coast, the tarpon seem to have made something of a comeback in recent years. In an effort to help recover this resource, TPWD has begun research related to management options to maintain and hopefully increase the number of tarpon in the Texas coastal waters. TPWD Coastal Fisheries is currently collaborating with the University of Miami on a high tech tagging study of tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico. These tags are attached to the muscular backs of the fish for up to two years. While being towed by the tarpon, the tags record the fish’s movement, water depth and water temperature at regular intervals. At a preset time, the tag pops off the fish and floats to the surface where it transmits the recorded information to an orbiting satellite.

Restoring the tarpon numbers in Texas is a complex issue because tarpon migrate yearly through hundreds or thousands of miles of water, and cross the borders of many countries. Tarpon grow slowly, requiring a minimum of six to seven years just to reach sexual maturity, and some live for as long as 80 years. The tagging program is part of a larger effort by anglers and agencies to improve our tarpon fishery. The success of seeing more tarpon in Texas waters will depend on uniform management of the tarpon population across the Gulf of Mexico. Ms Blandon is conducting research and leading international forums and workshops to establish the best management practices that will benefit a tarpon fishery for the Gulf of Mexico and Texas. Be sure to attend a very informative meeting of the Alamo Fly Fishers on Tuesday September 19th. The next tarpon you catch could be the result of this research.