July 28, 2014 marked the first fishing day of the 55th Annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was also the sixth year for the Great Marlin Race, which was launched there in celebration of the HIBT's 50th Anniversary. In the morning, the teams arrived at the "shouting room" (a giant open-air tent where the angling teams assemble before and after fishing) and within minutes, Whangaroa Sportfishing Club's Keith Allan stepped forward to sponsor a tag with his wife, Janice. This was the second year the Allan's have sponsored a tag and we are grateful for their continued support of the IGMR. Also sponsoring a tag for the third year in a row was IGFA Representative Rocky Franich from the Pajaro Valley Game Fish Club, Ralph Czabayski of the Game Fishing Club of South Australia, IGFA Representatives Bob and Sally Kurz, and the 2013-2014 Race Year winners: Marty and Mitchell Firestein, who fished for Laguna Niguel Billfish Club. As in the 2013 HIBT, Keith and Janice's tag was the first to be deployed by Dr. Rex Pyne after he battled an estimated 68 kg (150 lb) blue marlin from High Flyer early in the morning on the tournament s opening day. Meanwhile, it was just coming up on 10 am when Sally Kurz, fishing aboard Humdinger, hooked an estimated 113 kg (250 lb) blue marlin. Sally fought the fish for nearly an hour before Brett Fay leadered the marlin alongside the boat where Bob Kurz carefully tagged it. Fishing for Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #3, co-sponsor Mitchell Firestein deployed the third tag of the race after his father and co-sponsor Martin Firestein reeled in an estimated 50 kg (110 lb) blue. The father and son team were fishing from Northern Lights on July 29, 2014. This was the third tag the Firesteins have sponsored since the IGMR in 2011. Also sponsoring a tag for the third year in a row was another father and son team: IGFA Representative Rolf Czabayski and IGFA Lifetime Member Ralph Czabayski who were fishing for the Game Fishing Club of South Australia. On July 31, 2014, Ralph deployed the fourth tag of the IGMR after his father successfully fought an estimated 91 kg (200 lb) fish aboard Medusa.
On August 15, 2014, Ihu Nui captain McGrew Rice placed the fifth tag of the race on an estimated 113 kg (250 lb) blue marlin caught by Bob Kurz. For the third year in a row, this tag was generously cosponsored by IGFA Representatives Bob and Sally Kurz from Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #1 Rocky Franich, Bill Evans, and Bob Duerr from Pajaro Valley Game Fish Club. Two weeks later on August 28, 2014, IGMR sponsor Tim McBride of Mission Bay Marlin Club s tag was deployed on an estimated 272 kg (600 lb) blue by Northern Lights captain Kevin Nakamaru after angler Randy Pauly reeled in the fish. Tim has independently sponsored two tags since the start of the IGMR. The last tag to be deployed in the race was by sponsor Chuck Wigzell after angler Lou Groebner fought an estimated 375 lb (170 kg) marlin aboard Lady Dee on September 4, 2014. This was also Chuck s second year sponsoring a tag and supporting the IGMR program. Kona, USA 2014 Deployments Tag Boat Fish Species Tagged Reported Days at Large Distance (nm) Est. Wt. (lbs) Est. Wt. (kg) Angler Tagger 13P0469 High Flier 1 13P0266 Humdinger 2 marlin 7/28/2014 1/1/2015 157 2,292 150 68 Dr. Rex Pyne Guy Terwilliger marlin 7/28/2014 8/13/2014 16 40 250 113 Sally Kurz Bob Kurz 13P0277 Northern Lights 3 marlin 7/29/2014 8/30/2014 32 572 110 50 Martin Firestein Mitchell Firestein 13P0462 Medusa 4 marlin 7/31/2014 Tag Did Not Report 200 91 Rolf Czabayski Ralph Czabayski 13P0321 Ihu Nui 5 marlin 8/15/2014 Tag Did Not Report 250 113 Bob Kurz McGrew Rice 13P0362 Northern Lights 6 marlin 8/28/2014 2/26/2015 182 541 600 272 Randy Pauly Kevin Nakamaru 13P0308 Lady Dee 7 marlin 9/4/2014 3/3/2015 180 2,659 375 170 Lou Groebner Chuck Wigzell On March 3, 2015, the final tag in the 2014 HIBT IGMR surfaced to win the race after remaining on Fish 7 (Tag 13P0308) for the full programmed duration of 180 days. The tag reported about 250 nautical miles (nm) north of the equator at an incredible point to point distance of 2,659 nm southeast from where it was deployed in Kona, Hawaii, USA, and we estimate the total distance swam by the fish to be 5,861 nm*. Congratulations to Chuck Wigzell of Lady Dee, the sponsor and tagger of the winning fish! Coming in a very close second place was Fish 1 (Tag 13P0469), sponsored by Keith and Janice Allan of Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club. The tag popped up on New Year s Day very close (about 370 nm away) to where Fish 7's tag (Tag 13P0308) surfaced. Fish 1 (Tag 13P0469) swam a remarkable point to point distance of 2,292 nm and a total
estimated distance of 4,759 nm*. Most interestingly, both Fish 7 (Tag 13P0308) and Fish 1 (Tag 13P0469) tags popped up far to the east (rather than to the south) in a location very similar to the longest track from the 2010 HIBT, which was also an El Nino year. The 2013 HIBT IGMR winning sponsors Mitchell and Marty Firestein took third place in this year s 2014 HIBT IGMR while fishing for Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #3. Although Fish 3 (Tag 13P0277) only stayed with the blue for only about 32 days, it still recorded data over a linear distance of 572 nm and a total estimated distance of 1,031 nm*! From the track produced, Fish 3 (Tag 13P0277) maintained a steady pattern south and it looks like the marlin was beginning to swim west when the tag popped off. Fourth place in the race goes to sponsor Tim McBride of Mission Bay Marlin Club, San Diego. After 182 days at large, the tag popped off of Fish 6 (13P0362) on February 26, 2015 to reveal that the blue swam a point to point distance of 541 nm southeast of where it was deployed. However, we estimate the total distance swam by the fish to be close to 3,785 nm*! Fifth place in the race belongs to Fish 2 (Tag 13P0266) sponsored by Robert Chavers, Robert Dudley, Bob and Sally Kurz, and Charles Salinger of Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #1 and #2. Tag 13P0266 popped off of Fish 2 after only being on the blue for one day and so unfortunately, there could be no track generated for this marlin. Data received from the tag indicate that either the anchor pulled out of the fish or the leader broke, but unfortunately it is impossible to know which occurred without recovery of the tag. Unfortunately, the two remaining tags in the race, Fish 4 (Tag 13P0462) and Fish 5 (Tag 13P0321) never reported. Although we hope to hear back from every tag we deploy, there is always a chance that a tag will not report. We can speculate a few reasons this might happen. First, although each tag is painted with anti-fouling paint, biofouling can become an issue, especially during long deployments. It s also possible for the antenna to become encrusted with organisms which can impede the tag s ability to transmit data or it s possible the tag could malfunction (although a very rare occurrence). What we believe may also be likely in this particular race is these tags were crushed when they reached very deep depths. In very deep ocean basins like the Pacific, it is possible that both blue marlin died and when they sank to the ocean floor, the tags may have been crushed before they were able to release themselves from the carcass.
The 2014 HIBT IGMR added another valuable dataset to the growing body of knowledge we have about Pacific blue marlin. We have been able to sustain annual studies of Pacific blue marlin from a single location for six consecutive years which is allowing us to gain new insights into the migratory patterns of these animals, and the environmental factors that shape them. The first scientific manuscript describing these patterns has been submitted for publication and another two other manuscripts are currently in preparation. The submitted manuscript revealed that low oxygen and low temperature each affect the vertical and horizontal movements of Pacific blue marlin and the combined effects (i.e., both low oxygen and low temperature) are even greater than either factor by itself. This was the first study of its kind and it would not have been possible without the long-term commitment to research made by the HIBT, and the ongoing generosity of the anglers, captains and crews who have supported these efforts year after year. During the first year of the Great Marlin Race at the HIBT in 2009 and in most years since,
tagged marlin tended to travel to the southeast. In fact, many swam all the way to the southern hemisphere to the vicinity of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. However, in 2010, none of the tagged marlin crossed the equator. In fact, they almost all traveled more east-southeast towards Central America and the Galapagos Islands. In order to understand why this may have occurred, we reviewed sea surface temperature data from that period of time. What we noticed was that there was a tongue of cold water extending westward from South America along the equator, which appeared to have created a barrier to southward migration. Interestingly, the migration patterns of marlin tagged in the 2014 HIBT IGMR were similar to the patterns observed in 2010, which led us to wonder whether a similar La Nina-like, cold water tongue had occurred across the eastern equatorial Pacific. However, no such structure was observed during the time that would have been relevant (September-October, 2014). Another observation we made from the 2014 HIBT IGMR tracks was that several of the marlin made extensive forays north of the Hawaiian Islands. In the past, we have occasionally observed individual marlin that swam north for a short time, but this year, three of the four fish for which tracks were developed spent at least some time north of Hawaii, and two of those three marlin went far to the north, passing the 27 N parallel, where they spent several weeks before traveling south-southeast. This unusual pattern may be a response to the unusually warm water throughout the Central Pacific in the fall and winter of 2014. With an even warmer Pacific basin developing in 2015 and expecting to peak in late summer/early fall, it will be very interesting to see whether marlin tagged in the 2015 HIBT IGMR will exhibit similar migratory behaviors. As the Pacific Ocean grows warmer and El Nino/La Nina cycles potentially become stronger and more common, there is a possibility that the distribution of Pacific blue marlin could shift with more usable habitat available in the northern hemisphere, and less need to migrate south across the equator to remain in the warmer waters they prefer. It s also possible that more pronounced cold water equatorial flows during La Nina years could create a barrier to southward transequatorial movement, which could lead to a break in marlin populations in the northern and southern hemispheres and therefore a concomitant cessation of gene flow between these populations. Although this is only speculation, such speciation events are theoretically possible and should be taken into account in progressive wildlife management strategies for these valuable fish.
TAG 13P0469 Fish 1 Tag number: 13P0469 Sponsor: Keith and Janice Allan Angler: Dr. Rex Pyne Tagger: Guy Terwilliger Boat: High Flier Species: Marlin Estimated weight: 68 kg Deployed: 07/28/2014 Reported: 01/01/2015 Days at large: 157 Distance traveled: 2,292 nm Maximum depth: 328 m Minimum temp: 10.0 C Maximum temp: 30.2 C Temperature at Depth
TAG 13P0277 Fish 3 Tag number: 13P0277 Sponsor: Martin and Mitchell Firestein Angler: Martin Firestein Tagger: Mitchell Firestein Boat: Northern Lights Species: Marlin Estimated weight: 50 kg Deployed: 07/29/2014 Reported: 08/30/2014 Days at large: 32 Distance traveled: 572 nm Maximum depth: 216 m Minimum temp: 10.6 C Maximum temp: 29.2 C Temperature at Depth
TAG 13P0362 Fish 6 Tag number: 13P0362 Sponsor: Tim McBride Angler: Randy Pauly Tagger: Kevin Nakamaru Boat: Northern Lights Species: Marlin Estimated weight: 272 kg Deployed: 08/28/2014 Reported: 02/26/2015 Days at large: 182 Distance traveled: 541 nm Maximum depth: 656 m Minimum temp: 6.0 C Maximum temp: 29.0 C Temperature at Depth
TAG 13P0308 Fish 7 Tag number: 13P0308 Sponsor: Chuck Wigzell Angler: Lou Groebner Tagger: Chuck Wigzell Boat: Lady Dee Species: Marlin Estimated weight: 170 kg Deployed: 09/04/2014 Reported: 03/03/2015 Days at large: 180 Distance traveled: 2,659 nm Maximum depth: 616 m Minimum temp: 6.6 C Maximum temp: 29.8 C Temperature at Depth