Costa’s Marlin Fly Project: Conservation through Community
Eugene L. 10.30.23
With conservation and community always been a part of Costa Sunglasses, has excitedly announced the Marlin Fly Project. The first recorded billfish research mission that solely used fly tackle. This was done in partnership with the locals of San Carlos, Mexico, The Billfish Foundation (TBF), and the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The Marlin Fly Project team successfully deployed all 15 satellite tags and 20 additional spaghetti tags on striped marlin in two days in Magdalena Bay These are to better understand and protect the understudied billfish species. Scientists from the Billfish Foundation, IGFA, and the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Fisheries Research & Development, vetted that all the billfish landed were viable tag candidates before being tagged. All the fish landed and tagged were healthy and swam off strong.
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“The epic fishing tales coming out of Magdalena “Mag” Bay alone attracted us to the region in 2021, but what we found there was an authentic community, rich with culture, built alongside an untamed ecosystem,” said Jed Larkin, Brand Director for Costa Sunglasses. “That trip sparked a trailblazing idea – what if we brought our global community of scientists, partners and pros together with the local community of San Carlos to research and protect this special resource? And that’s how Marlin Fly was born. Rooted in both community and conservation, this project is everything we stand for as a brand.”
The Marlin Fly project, took place in Southwestern Baja, Mexico, back in December 2022. It stands as the culmination of community and conservation. Costa brought together Costa Pro Anglers and Guides, leading billfish scientists, conservation organizations, and community partners. To work hand in hand with the local captains, guides, and community of San Carlos. The community-first nonprofit Indifly, joined in the project to meet up with the community of San Carlos. Inspired by the people and project, Indifly plans to work with San Carlos, the Marlin Fly Project, and Los Locos Magbay Lodge to innovate ways for the local community to take the reins of their future.
Of the 15 short and long term satellite tags that were deployed during the project, Costa resourced three tags to support IGFA’s Great Marlin Race, and seven were donated by TBF. The tags will track post release survivability, migrational patterns, swimming depth, and water temperature. An additional 20 spaghetti tags were deployed, which will provide important ongoing recapture data. The discoveries from Costa’s Marlin Fly Project will help fill crucial data gaps and aid in global and local efforts to conserve this highly migratory species (HMS).
