The first estimate of interjurisdictional population dynamics for bonefish, Albula vulpes, a shared resource in the western Caribbean

Abstract

Many tropical fisheries are data-poor and lack population demographic information needed for effective management and conservation. In this study we used mark-recapture of bonefish, Albula vulpes, an important species in catch-and-release recreational fisheries, to estimate capture probabilities. Moreover, for the first time we generated key demographic parameters including apparent survival, new entries and population size. We marked 9657 bonefish and recaptured 605 (6.3 % recapture rate) inside and outside protected areas in northern Belize and southern Mexico. We built 20 open population model types known as POPAN in program MARK. The model with a constant superpopulation and probability, and a time-dependent survival and capture probability was best supported by our data. A potentially stable superpopulation size of bonefish > 22 cm of approximately 197,350 individuals (SE = 16,010, lower bound = 168,382, upper bound = 231,302) inhabited a larger region beyond our sampled (40.8 km2 sample area). A combination of permanent and temporary immigration and emigration patterns resulted in seasonal variations in survival, capture probabilities, probability of entry of individuals and population size (or abundance). Approximately 188,000 adult bonefish migrate and congregate in near-shore pre-spawning aggregation sites of the Caribbean Sea near Belize and Mexico during the spawning season. Population stability is likely associated with bonefish protections enacted in 1977, protected areas, and conservation practices by fishing communities of Belize and Mexico. This highlights the importance of protected areas and interjurisdictional fisheries management and suggests the need for a paradigm shift in the Caribbean to include connectivity of habitats essential to all life stages for important fish species.