Is a Recreational Fishing Reserve Area a Viable Option for Guatemala’s Pacific Coast

The Pacific Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a vital resource to Central American economies along the eastern Pacific Ocean through tourism (recreational catch-and-release sportfisheries) and as retainable bycatch in the commercial (purse seine and longline) fleet. Mortality resulting from capture in commercial fisheries targeting other pelagic species reduces population abundance and negatively impacts economically important recreational catch rates. In this study, we seek to examine the current state of the Guatemala ecosystem for the viability of a recreational fishing reserve area and where this area will have the greatest impact on conservation and access. This objective requires the development of methods to spatially quantify biodiversity and productivity hotspots along the Guatemalan Pacific coast in both the pelagic and demersal ecosystems to better understand the distribution of coastal resources. Further investigation of the oceanographic parameters in the region seeks to examine the physical system acting on such coastal resources causing aggregation and retention within specific biogeographic locations such as the San Jose Canyon. The examination utilizes a combination of hydroacoustic, oceanographic, and trawl survey sampling methods as well as recent sailfish satellite tagging results from the 2018-2019 season. Finally, an exploration of a previous area closure in Costa Rica is examined relative to suggestions made for the Guatemalan study.